OWINGS MILLS — While Derrick Henry will anchor the Ravens’ rushing attack next season, general manager Eric DeCosta expects second-year player Keaton Mitchell to play a key role — at some point.
Mitchell, who signed with the Ravens as an undrafted rookie out of East Carolina, became a breakout player when he ran for 138 yards and a touchdown in his first extensive playing time against the Seahawks on November 5th.
Mitchell was poised for another big game against the Jaguars with 73 yards rushing before he was tripped up by a defender and landed awkwardly on his left leg in the fourth quarter. He had to be carted off the field and was lost for the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament.
DeCosta expects Mitchell to return at some point of the 2024 season and boost the Ravens’ offense. In the meantime, the Ravens will likely add another running back in free agency or the draft for added depth behind Henry, Mitchell, and Justice Hill.
“I think Keaton is doing really well. We’ll see,” DeCosta said. “Obviously, [it was a] significant knee injury, but we have some experience with that. I’ve gotten some updates from our trainers and doctors, and we feel like he’s on path to come back at some point this season. Running back-wise, we’ll assess the market like we always do. There are some players out there, still, that are pretty interesting players.
The Ravens had the top rushing attack in the NFL last season, averaging 156.5 yards per game.
Quarterback Lamar Jackson led the team with 821 yards rushing and Gus Edwards had a team-best in 13 rushing touchdowns. Edwards signed with the Chargers as a free agent this offseason. Mitchell finished the season ranked third on the team with 396 yards rushing in just eight games.
Overall Baltimore’s ground game had an NFL-high 2,661 yards and a franchise-record 26 touchdown
With the addition of Henry, the Ravens have an opportunity to surpass those marks next season. Henry ranked second in the league with 1,167 yards rushing last season.
“Game planning-wise, it’s going to give us a lot of options. We have a lot of – like Derrick was talking about – we have a lot of playmakers, and our offensive line is going to be big and physical and tough and good,” coach John Harbaugh said. “We’re looking forward to it.”