OTL: Who Will Emerge As The Ravens’ Backup Running Back?

Training camp is officially underway!

This is the time of the offseason where the key decisions are made throughout the depth chart. For the Baltimore Ravens, there isn’t much mystery surrounding the starting running back.

Derrick Henry is entering his third season as Baltimore’s leading rusher, coming off a 1,595-yard campaign in 2025. The five-time Pro-Bowler is entering his age-33 season, which raises questions about how much of a workload and how much production he will be able to sustain.

The King’s Reign and Father Time

Henry has amassed 3,516 yards in his two-year Ravens career (averaging 1,758 per season) and signed a two-year extension with the team back in 2025, tying him to Charm City through the 2027 season.

While the Ravens’ starting running back is all but settled, the ball carrier spot behind Henry is one of training camp’s most intriguing positional battles.

The safest bet for the job would be with Justice Hill, who has spent the past two seasons as Henry’s backup when healthy.

Hill, 28, has spent each of his first six seasons with Baltimore, notching a career-high 387 rushing yards with the team back in 2023. The former fourth-round pick, however, suffered a season-ending neck injury last year that limited him to just 93 yards on 18 attempts for the season.

Hill made a full recovery and returned to Baltimore’s OTAs this offseason, putting him in position to make a comeback at the team’s RB2 slot.

The former Oklahoma State Cowboy rushed for 228 yards on 47 attempts (4.9 yards per carry) in his last full season (2024). He has averaged upwards of 4.5 yards per attempt every year except his rookie season.

While Hill enters camp as the favorite, he is far from the only competitor.

Joining him as one of Baltimore’s returning running backs is Rasheen Ali, who spent most of his 2025 campaign on special teams. However, the former fifth-round selection in 2024 could carve out an increase in playing time during training camp.

Ali received a number of first-team looks during Sunday’s practice at the University of Maryland with Henry partaking in a veteran rest day. He also was featured heavily in the team’s punt and kick return sets.

A third-year ball carrier, Ali has only totaled 55 rushing yards in two years with the Ravens. The 25-year-old finished the 2025 season with 24 yards on seven carries, but did tally 68 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown.

Ali’s pass catching ability is one of his more desirable traits, along with his special teams upside.

Though his offensive production has been low in years past, the former Marshall back is gunning for an opportunity to prove he can support Henry in the team’s offense.

If neither veteran can separate themselves, however, Baltimore could turn to its rookie addition at the position.

The Ravens selected Adam Randall out of Clemson with the 174th overall pick in the fifth round, a pick that was reportedly made by team owner Steve Biscotti.

Randall, 22, is already making noise in Baltimore’s training camp, collecting some highlight plays over the first few days of practice. He, like Ali, has also received some first-team looks amid Henry’s short absence.

Randall, a wide-receiver-turned-running-back, rushed for 814 yards on 4.8 per carry in his senior season at Clemson. He also tallied 10 touchdowns.

Standing at 6-foot-3, Randall’s size and speed gives him a great deal of upside in Baltimore’s backfield. Given Hill’s injury history and Ali’s lack of offensive experience, the fifth-round rookie could be in for an enhanced workload early in his career.

Hill’s familiarity and experience makes him the likely frontrunner to reclaim his spot as the RB2 of the Ravens despite his season-ending neck injury last year. But as training camp progresses, the team’s young backs Ali and Randall should not be counted out.

The position is important as Henry ages to a point at which most superstar running backs begin to regress. Keeping him fresh will be a top priority for the success of Baltimore’s backfield.

Who do you think will serve as Henry’s backup this season?

The post OTL: Who Will Emerge As The Ravens’ Backup Running Back? appeared first on Russell Street Report.

Source: https://russellstreetreport.com/2026/08/03/out-to-lunch/otl-who-will-emerge-as-the-ravens-backup-running-back/