Jamal Lewis won the RB1 job with 80 percent of the vote. Who will be the next back to join him on the Ravens All Quarter Century Team?
In our kickoff poll for this journey to find the Ravens All Quarter Century Team, you all voted emphatically to name Jamal Lewis as RB1. The one-time 2,000-yard rusher earned 80 percent of the vote and is our first player named to the team. With Lewis now eliminated from the poll, let’s go ahead and find our RB2!
Get back in there and vote!
Ray Rice (2008-2013)
Rice’s time with the Ravens — and his entire NFL career — may have been cut short due to off-field issues, but there’s no denying he was one of the best in the NFL during his six years in Baltimore.
After sitting his rookie season behind veteran Willis McGahee, Rice broke out in his sophomore campaign with 1,339 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. He also proved to be one of the best dual-threat backs in the league by adding another 702 yards through the air with another score. That was just the first of his two career seasons where he totaled over 2,000 yards of total offense. The second ended up being his best as he totaled 1,364 rushing yards, 12 rushing touchdowns, 704 receiving yards, and three scoring grabs. All of those were new career highs across the board.
By the end of his career, Rice averaged 1,030 rushing yards and 505 receiving yards per season for over half a decade.
Derrick Henry (2024-present)
I know you might be wondering how a one-year Raven makes this nomination list, but did you see what Henry did this past season?
In his first season as a Raven, Henry rushed for 1,921 yards and scored 16 touchdowns (led the NFL), both of which were good for the second most in a season during his career. He was also named a Second Team-All Pro and nominated to his fifth Pro Bowl.
One year or not, it just felt wrong not including Henry on this list.
Willis McGahee (2007-2010)
After four years with the Buffalo Bills, McGahee joined the Ravens in 2007 where he earned the starting job right away. In his lone season as the full-time starter for Baltimore, he rushed for 1,207 yards with seven touchdowns. However, he lost the starting gig to newcomer Ray Rice but maintained a steady role as one of the top backups in the NFL.
During the 2009 season, McGahee rushed for only 544 yards but somehow managed to still find the end zone 12 times, the most since he scored 13 as a rookie in 2004. McGahee finished his time with the Ravens rushing for 2,802 yards and scoring 31 touchdowns.