Derrick Henry led the NFL with a career-best 1,540 rushing yards on 303 carries, and was the only running back in the NFL to average more than 100 rushing yards per game last season, but that doesn’t mean everyone thinks he’s the No. 1 running back entering this season.
According to ESPN, Henry is the 5th best running back entering the 2020 season.
ESPN has Saquon Barkley as the number one running back, followed by Christian McCaffrey, Ezekiel Elliott, and Alvin Kamara.
Henry, although sitting at 5th, was voted the number 1 running back by some. And for good reasons.
Henry had 446 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns on 83 carries during the playoffs.
But, that’s not all. Henry is ranked third in NFL history, averaging 126 yards rushing in the postseason.
And ESPN made it clear- “Henry fell to No. 5 on this list, but too many evaluators prefer a true workhorse, he belongs much higher. Henry led the NFL in rushing attempts (106) and yards (572) against boxes of eight or more defenders. The next-closest was Adrian Peterson, with 324 yards.”
One NFC executive had this to say about Henry:
“Personal preference, but I’d rather see good running backs running for yards and taking time on the clock and keeping my defense on the sideline. The guy from Tennessee does that better than anyone.”
That guy he’s referring to? None other than Derrick Henry.
Henry fell down to number 5 on many ballots because of the fact he only had 57 receptions and 578 yards receiving, but Henry isn’t just any running back. He’s a run you over type of running back. And to be fair, the Titans’ offense isn’t one to make many receiving plays for Henry anyways.
A defensive end coach said it best himself about Derrick’s ability:
“He’s so tough to tackle over four quarters. Completely wears you down and takes over games.”
He doest just that, and more.
According to a report by NFL.com, Henry was the only running back in the NFL to post a rushing yards over expectation per attempt of more than 1 yard (1.05) in 2019.
In other words, “Only 10 running backs in the entire league posted a rate of 0.55 yards or better, and only two were even within 0.25 yards on average of Henry’s mark.”
Henry plays smash mouth football, just like he did at Alabama.
And plus, there’s a reason why the Titans agreed with Henry for a four-year, $50 million deal.
He’s worth every single penny.
But let’s be honest, none of this matters. Because come this fall, Henry will be on a mission to prove to everyone that he’s truly the best running back in the league.
While at Alabama, the former Heisman trophy winner produced 3,591 yards and 42 touchdowns while racking up 285 receiving yards and three touchdowns through the air.
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