While the Ravens have one of the more crowded running back rooms in the NFL, it’s fortunately also one of the more talented. With Pro Bowler Mark Ingram, exciting draft pick JK Dobbins, Gus Edwards and Justice Hill, there’s a lot to be excited about. However, when it comes to hype, Hill seems to get the short end of the stick. No doubt, his rookie season left much to be desired, but I have my doubts about Baltimore cutting one of their top-four backs, and I think he’ll actually make an impact this year.
In 2019, Hill didn’t show too much, amassing 225 yards and two TDs on 55 carries. In the Ravens’ dominant rushing attack, he was the only back not to average 4.0 yards per carry. Perhaps worse, he seemed to struggle finding holes and making defenders miss when he did. Hill possesses blazing speed, which is why Baltimore drafted him, but he has to improve as a runner at the NFL level. The good news is, I expect that he will.
Many NFL players see a bump in year two, as the speed of the game slows for them, and running backs are no different. For Hill, things did seem too fast last year, but with more time, I don’t think it’s impossible that he breaks out. He’s a talented player in an offense that fits his skillset well – why shouldn’t he improve?
Let’s look quickly at a few other running backs who took off in year two.
First, consider former Kansas City burner Jamaal Charles. In his rookie season, he ran for 357 yards and 0 TDs on 67 rushes. In year two, he broke the 1,000-yard threshold in under 200 carries. Now, how about former Raven Ray Rice, who ran for nearly 1,400 yards on 254 rushes after around 450 on 107 his first year? Both of these players have similar playing styles to Hill and can contribute in the passing game, too. While his role in the offense may limit the amount his stats can pop, he could easily improve dramatically this year.
Admittedly, Charles and Rice were likely at a different talent level than Hill, but there’s one more name I’d like to throw out as a more comparable player in Baltimore’s offense: Danny Woodhead. In his rookie year with the San Diego Chargers, Woodhead had just 15 carries for 64 yards. The following year, while still receiving limited action, he had 97 carries for 547 yards.
That’s exactly the kind of player I can see Hill being for the Ravens. He won’t necessarily be a ‘change of pace’ from someone like Dobbins, but lining him up could signal “pass” to the defense – and that will help him find success on unexpected runs.
https://youtu.be/mlyDgz3YLW8
Hill may end up being cut or traded before the season begins, but he could also make regular impacts in 2020.
We’ve seen plenty of backs do it in their second year – why can’t Hill?
