One week into the 2023 NFL season, the Baltimore Ravens suffered the first significant injury of the year. Starting running back JK Dobbins is out for the season with a torn Achilles tendon, setting Baltimore's run game back after what was projected to be a breakout season for the fourth-year running back.
Outside of Dobbins, who had eight carries for 22 yards and a touchdown before exiting a 25-9 win over the Houston Texans on Sunday, the Ravens rushed for 88 yards on 24 carries. As usual, quarterback Lamar Jackson led the way, and Justice Hill punched in two scores from the two-yard line.
Without Dobbins, the Ravens have Hill and Gus Edwards to lead the backfield, with Melvin Gordon waiting on the practice squad for his opportunity. Baltimore also has a promising rookie in Keaton Mitchell, but he'll be out until at least Week 5 after starting the season on injured reserve.
The Ravens like who they have in their running back room at the moment, but depth is critical at every position, especially when the starter is out for the season. Baltimore can rely on Edwards and see what it can get out of Hill and Gordon, but logically it'll have to bring in another back to try and fill the void JK Dobbins is leaving.
Bringing back a familiar face
Last year the Ravens used five different running backs throughout the season. One of them was Kenyan Drake, who led all Baltimore running backs with 109 rushing attempts and started the most games at the position outside of Dobbins.
Drake appeared in 12 games for the Ravens last season, rushing for 482 yards, 4.4 yards per attempt and added five total touchdowns to his stat sheet. He also had a pair of big games for Baltimore, including a 119-yard performance and a game with 93 yards and two rushing touchdowns.
Drake spent the preseason with the Indianapolis Colts after spending the summer without a team. He saw limited action in the preseason and didn’t do much with it, rushing for 36 yards on 13 carries. He did however make an impact in the passing game, catching 3 passes for 29 yards and a touchdown. Despite the holdout of starting running back Jonathan Taylor, Drake was cut by the Colts and is again searching for a new team.
Drake has thrived in a backup role throughout his career and would give the Ravens a pass-catching option out of the backfield. Edwards and Hill have a combined 43 catches in 97 NFL games. Drake averages 30 catches per season in his career and has two seasons with 50 or more catches.
There have been plenty of running back reunions with teams in the past, especially after an unexpected injury like the one to Dobbins. Bringing in a player who is familiar with the culture and had success, albeit limited, with the Ravens last year would make sense. Don't be surprised if Baltimore gave Kenyan Drake a call.
Best available on the market
The Ravens don’t need a bonafide No. 1 running back – not that there's one available in free agency anyway – but they also don’t have to settle for a career backup if they want to make an addition at the position. The perfect happy medium could be veteran bruiser Leonard Fournette.
Fournette signed a three-year contract worth $21 million with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in March 2022. 18 months later he is without a job, though he shouldn’t be for much longer as the NFL season gets going and teams deal with injuries. The Ravens get the first unofficial crack at him and they should at least entertain the option.
Fournette was not a very efficient runner last season, averaging 3.5 yards per carry, but he did continue being an elite pass-catching back. He caught 73 passes for a career-high 523 receiving yards and added three touchdowns through the air. Only three running backs have caught more passes than Fournette since 2019 and only two have more since 2020.
With the loss of Dobbins the Ravens do not have any pass-catching threats out of the backfield. Adding Fournette would not only give them that but also provide them with another able ball-carrier who does not have a ton of wear and tear to him.
The Ravens seem to like Melvin Gordon enough to keep him on the practice squad, but Leonard Fournette is a better option at this point in their respective careers. Baltimore can take a flier on a former Super Bowl champion with pass-catching prowess and add another layer to Todd Monken's offense.
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