For fans of the Alabama Crimson Tide football team, it feels like just yesterday Derrick Henry was hoisting the Heisman Trophy. Sorry to burst your bubble, but that moment was nearly a decade ago. Despite being a veteran in the NFL, Henry still ranks as one of the best running backs in the league.
After spending eight years with the Tennessee Titans, where he built up a Hall of Fame-worthy career, Henry is just now moving on to the next chapter of his NFL journey. Over the 2024 offseason, Henry signed with the Baltimore Ravens, where he will join fellow Heisman Trophy recipient and MVP Award winner Lamar Jackson.
Running backs in the NFL are often overlooked and underpaid, as it is a position that’s viewed by many to be one of the most damaging on a player’s body. Well, Henry has suffered injuries in the past, but his ability to stay in great shape and at the top of his game is what has made him one of the most valuable offensive players in recent history.
Recently, ESPN heard from anonymous NFL coaches and executives (subscription required) and Henry was rated at the ninth-best running back in the league.
“He’s a warrior,” a veteran NFL coach said. “Just keeps himself in such good physical conditioning with offseason workouts. I don’t see him slowing down over the next two years. He’s a volume back with great size, breaks tackles, has deceptive speed and no one’s really catching him if he gets going. I don’t think he’s lost a step.”
Though he has to compete with younger running backs all across the NFL, Henry remains one of the strongest, most poised running backs of them all. The Ravens landing Henry was a massive move in the right direction for the franchise, as they now have one of the strongest, fastest, most elusive backfields in the game.
Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Derrick Henry and other former Alabama football player in the NFL as the 2024 season approaches.
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