The Baltimore Ravens have seen plenty of headlines recently surrounding some of their key offensive playmakers, including quarterback Lamar Jackson. However, running back J.K. Dobbins has also seen his name pop up in some lists where he has gotten placed much lower than where he deserves to be.
When ranking all 32 RB1s in the NFL, former running back Maurice Jones-Drew of NFL.com put Dobbins in the No. 12 spot on the list. When explaining why, Jones-Drew pointed to his burst and big-play ability.
“Dobbins averaged 6.0 yards per carry while sharing the backfield with Mark Ingram (now in Houston) and Gus Edwards last season, showing great burst and flashing big-play ability. Now it’s time to see what he’s got as the Ravens’ featured back for a full season. He’ll obviously benefit from having Lamar Jackson in front of him and should be a productive back in Baltimore for years to come.”
The former Ohio State University star is a prime candidate to break out in 2021 due to some of the traits that Jones-Drew mentioned. Running behind an improved offensive line as well as now having a year of experience at the NFL level, Dobbins is ready to take the league by storm.
Jones-Drew ranked players such as Joe Mixon, Josh Jacobs, and Jonathan Taylor ahead of Dobbins while putting players such as David Montgomery, Cam Akers, and Austin Ekler behind him.