Ravens GM Eric DeCosta says ‘there’s a pretty strong chance’ Ravens will draft a running back

More offensive backfield reinforcements are likely on the way in the mid-to-later rounds.

Baltimore Ravens General Manager Eric DeCosta is among the large contingent around the NFL who believe the surprisingly active veteran running back market in the first wave of free agency was a direct correlation of how this year’s incoming rookie class at the position is viewed league-wide.

“It was an interesting dynamic this year in free agency, you saw whatever it was, nine or 10 [running backs] get signed in the first day of free agency,” DeCosta said at a pre-draft press conference. “I think part of that was probably how people looked at this running back class in the draft.”

The Ravens were among those teams who targeted an experienced veteran running back when they signed four-time Pro Bowler and two-time league rushing champion Derrick Henry to a two-year deal worth up to $20 million.

While this year’s class doesn’t have any prospects in “top-tier first-round” consideration according to DeCosta, there are still a lot of talented young running backs who could be had on Day 2 and later and contribute.

“There’s a lot of those, particularly in third, fourth [and] fifth-round clumps,” DeCosta said. “We’ve looked at those guys very closely. We’re excited about some of those players. There’s probably a pretty strong chance we will draft a running back at some point.”

Some pundits believe there could be as few as one or two running backs taken in the top two rounds and DeCosta anticipates a run on the position starting in the third round and lasting until the seventh.

“We do think there is a chance for us to get a good young player who can help us in different ways as a running back and in the passing game and also on special teams,” DeCosta said.

Several intriguing prospects fit the exact mold and can perform the role DeCosta specified the Ravens could use and will target. A late Day 2 to early Day 3 option is Louisville’s Isaac Guerendo who blew up the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine with his elite athletic testing. He doesn’t come with a lot of treadwear on his legs despite being a fifth-year player because he was mostly a special teams player at Wisconsin before transferring and breaking out with the Cardinals in 2023. He’d be an ideal fit given his talent and extensive experience as a kick returner where he averaged 23 yards a return in college.

Kentucky’s Ray Davis is an early Day 3 option who is a solid all-round back capable of catching the ball out of the backfield and making sharp decisive cuts. He eclipsed 1,100 scrimmage yards with three different programs in college including a career-high 1,452 and 21 touchdowns in 2023 for the Wildcats.

Three more promising Day 3 options include Marshall’s Rasheen Ali who the Ravens have already brought in for a pre-draft top 30 visit, Texas’ Keilan Robinson who was an explosive punt and kick returner in college and TCU’s Emani Bailey who showcased his ability to be a dynamic weapon in both the running and passing game at the 2024 Reese’s Senior Bowl.

With 2023 undrafted gem Keaton Mitchell coming off a torn ACL suffered mid-December, the only healthy running backs on the roster slated to be ready to play Week 1 are Henry and fellow veteran Justice Hill. There is a need for immediate and long-term depth as Hill is entering the final year of his current contract, Henry is only under contract through 2025, and Mitchell likely won’t be available for the first half of the season and probably isn’t going to look like his same explosive self in the first year back from injury.