In this post I take a look at running back prospects for the Ravens in the 2022 draft. Once again, players are listed in the order in which I think the Ravens should consider them.
Previous offensive position analyses can be found at these posts:
Tight end prospects are located here.
Offensive linemen posts are located here.
Previous defensive position analyses can be found at these posts:
Edge defender prospects are located here.
Defensive secondary prospects are located here.
Inside linebacker prospects are located here.
Defensive line prospects are located here.
And, for an analysis of Round One from the Ravens’ perspective, look here.
Running Back Prospects
The Ravens cannot go into 2022 completely dependent on the return of their injured running back trio. I’m not a fan of Justice Hill and the Ravens don’t appear to be much of a fan of Ty’Son Williams. I cannot imagine the Ravens selecting a back before the fourth round unless J.K. Dobbins is in much worse shape than we can imagine. Below I focus on backs who are draftable from the fourth round on.
Not Considered because they will be gone before the fourth round:
Kenneth Walker, III
Breece Hall
Isaiah Spiller
Isaiah Spiller is 6’0, 217 lbs. from Texas A&M. Spiller is not the electric athlete at running back who brings outstanding traits. His top end speed is a bit slow, as he runs a 4.63 forty. But Spiller brings quite a few good things to the table, including excellent footwork and vision. Spiller is the type of runner who excitingly utilizes multiple cuts as he brings excellent lateral agility. He’s that guy who can juke instantly and brings an excellent jump cut. He can make tacklers miss. However, sometimes he falls too much in love with cutting and lacks needed decisiveness, costing himself yards. And he does this a bit too much in the backfield, which is a no-no in the NFL and something he will need to leave behind.
Spiller is a very good receiver. He brings soft hands, can make difficult catches, and is a solid route runner coming out of the backfield. He picks up the blitz well and has the ability to stonewall rushing linebackers though he needs to keep his pads lower. Spiller is smart and processes things well. He should be seen as a three-down back. Spiller is a good fit for the type of gap schemes that the Ravens run. Round 4.
James Cook
James Cook is 5’11, 199 lbs. from Georgia. Cook is the younger brother of Dalvin Cook. James Cook is a blazer (ran a 4.42 forty) and he reaches that top speed quickly. Cook has been a very good receiver and an excellent route runner, with only one drop in his career. Linebackers cannot cover him. He is a one-cut and go runner and can stack his cuts down the field and take it to the house, but he is not a powerful runner between the tackles, and he lacks the strength to power through tacklers.
Cook can be the type of home run hitter that Justice Hill never turned out to be. Cook doesn’t grade out as a full-time NFL starter given his inside limitations and his liability as a pass blocker. But Cook is the type of scat back that the Ravens just haven’t had, and a pass catcher who can be used in a variety of way. Round 4.
Dameon Pierce
Dameon Pierce is 5’10, 218 lbs. from Florida. Pierce is not a home-run hitter by any means, and he is not the most gifted of all athletes. But Pierce brings some good qualities to the table. He’s all muscle with strength through his core. He has a low center of gravity and quick feet, and runs with excellent pad level as he keeps those feet moving. Pierce churns through tacklers and hits a hole without hesitating. He reads his blocks well and manages to get through tight spaces.
Pierce never received a huge workload while at Florida (so little wear and tear), but he has the body to do it. He did not fumble last year in 100 attempts. He would fit easily into the Ravens running schemes. Pierce is very experienced on special teams. He’s a solid pass protector but doesn’t offer too much at this point in the passing game. For all of his good qualities, I don’t see Pierce offering the Ravens anything that they don’t already have between Dobbins and Edwards. Round 4.
Pierre Strong, Jr.
Pierre Strong, Jr. is 5’11, 207 lbs. from South Dakota State. Strong is an instinctive slasher who knows how to set up his moves and can plant that foot to avoid tacklers. He has excellent explosion, burst, bend, and vision with the ability to press the hole and cut back. Strong has outstanding speed to the outside (ran a 4.37 forty) and will not be caught from behind. He is not a tackle-breaker by any means, and could stand to add more strength. Strong is a patient runner. Fumbling was an issue his senior year. Strong can be a home-run hitter as he had 10 TDs or 50+ yards (albeit against a lower level of competition). He will run away from you in the open field.
Strong should perform well in the type of run schemes the Ravens like. He has that slalom-like ability to avoid tacklers. Strong has some ability in the pass game, though he dropped too many passes, but he is an exploitable weapon in the receiving game. He is not a 25 carry a game back, but in today’s NFL, few are and the Ravens already utilize a two-headed monster. In all, I see Strong as a change-of-pace situational back who is complementary to Dobbins and Edwards. He could fill the role that Justice Hill hasn’t so far. Round 4.
Zamir White
Zamir White is 6’, 214 lbs. from Georgia. White had surgeries in 2017 and 2018 to repair torn ACLs in each knee. White is not the elusive style running back. He is an inside physical runner who generates burst out of his cuts. He has good lateral cuts for a player his size. He is physically cut from hard work in the weight room and absorbs hits with relative ease. White will drag tacklers. But he’s not a creative runner in space, will not string moves together, and has had very little third down play in his career. He’s rarely been thrown to either.
White is not a good blocker and has been poor in blitz pickup. White ran a fast 4.40 forty and has some explosiveness to his game. He could become a solid NFL back if his knees check out. But White’s running, combined with him offering not much in the passing game, doesn’t add anything to the Ravens mix of backs. Pass. Round 4.
Tyler Badie
Tyler Badie is 5’8, 197 lbs. from Missouri. Obviously undersized, Badie (from Baltimore) will likely be viewed as a third-down change-of-pace back. He could be more than that. He offers what you would expect – very quick footwork with the ability to make lateral cuts with the quick burst to get to top speed (ran a 4.45 forty). But he is best seen as a reactive runner. Badie is tough for his size as he has a strong lower body and can bounce off tacklers with his low center of gravity. Although tough, he should not be counted on for short-yardage pushes. He is an excellent receiver who is hard to tackle after the catch, and can certainly threaten in the passing game (caught 54 passes last year and has only two drops combined over the last two seasons).
Badie is a twitchy, elusive back with very good vision and the ability to make plays out of the backfield. He is great in space. He carried a very heavy workload for Missouri, so he is durable. And, he hasn’t fumbled for the last two years (just two on a total of 513 career carries). Badie will not bring you much in pass protect. Badie had an excellent week at the Senior Bowl. For the Ravens, Badie would be a great complementary pick who brings a variety of abilities to the offense. Round 4-5.
Kyren Williams
Kyren Williams is 5’9, 194 lbs. from Notre Dame. Williams just doesn’t offer the Ravens enough. He’s on the slow side, having run the slowest running back forty at the Combine (4.65) although he followed that up with a 4.54 on his pro day. Williams is small but is not explosive and lacks any special trait with the ball in his hands. And he’s a fumbler. The best aspect of his game is receiving, where he caught 77 balls over the past two years and is excellent in pass protection. If you want a third down receiving threat, he’s a good candidate, but I think the Ravens want more than that. Pass. Round 5.
Rachaad White
Rachaad White is 6’, 214 lbs. from Arizona State. White brings very good lateral agility, is a sharp cutter, can stack those cuts, and accelerates very well out of them. He combines that with excellent vision. White can get to the edge, but he sometimes does it in an undisciplined way (i.e., too quickly), making one wonder whether he will be patient enough to stay between the tackles when he should. He needs to bring more patience to his game. His slipperiness allows him to force missed tackles. White has the type of lean and plant with his footwork that can put a man down. Although he is not the fastest runner (ran a 4.48), he has good burst.
White does not bring a lot of power after contact as his lower body just doesn’t bring pop. His pass protection skills need improvement though he is a willing blocker. He is not the most physical of runners, lacking the lower body strength to drive through tacklers. White is a very good receiver, one of the best in the class; he’s definitely a back you want to get the ball to in space. And he’s probably best used in that space where he can put his quick feet to best effect. White is an interesting prospect for the team that understands how to utilize him, which right now would be on third down as a receiving threat, and he could have a role for the Ravens. Round 5.
Abram Smith
Abram Smith is 6’, 213 lbs. from Baylor. Smith is another one-cut and go runner who understands how to set up his blocks. He has a good instinct for cutbacks and is a finisher into contact. Arm tackling won’t get the job done against him. Smith does not look to bounce everything outside and will stay disciplined. He is not your elusive running back but has good feet. He brings physicality. Smith runs a bit upright and doesn’t seem to have a second gear. He only played running back one year and, at age 24 by season start, should have a lot of wear left on his tires. He will be physical when blocking but his technique needs further development.
Smith was not utilized too much in the passing game, and although he flashed as a receiver at the Senior Bowl he suffered some drops in college. There’s not much of a route tree with Smith. He was loved in the locker room. Smith has a lot of special teams’ experience. Although there’s nothing exceptional with Smith, his running style could be effective in the Ravens’ system. Round 5.
Tyler Allgeier
Tyler Allgeier is 5’10, 224 lbs. from BYU. Allgeier is built like a rock. He’s a bruiser. He averaged 4.2 yards after contact over his career. Allgeier brings more elusiveness to his game than one might expect. He brings very good vision and is and excellent pass blocker. But he does not have home run speed and is not all that explosive. Allgeier fumbles too much for the Ravens’ taste – six fumbles last year. I don’t think Allgeier brings any complementary skills to the Ravens core running backs at this point. Pass. Round 5.
Brian Robinson
Brian Robinson is 6’2, 225 lbs. from Alabama. Robinson is a powerful downhill runner who can crash through contact. His burst though is unexceptional. I don’t see him as a home run threat though he should be excellent on short yardage situations. He’s not the type of runner to sneak through small creases. I just don’t think there is anything all that exceptional about Robinson. I don’t see him augmenting anything in the running back room. Pass. Round 5.
Ty Chandler
Ty Chandler is 5’11, 204 lbs. from North Carolina. Chandler had a breakout season after transferring from Tennessee. He has very good quickness and has immediate second-level explosion. He ran a fantastic 4.38 forty. Chandler keeps his pads down, will follow his blockers, and sees and can squeeze through tight holes. He has real ability to attack linebackers down the seam and has very good hands as a receiver. He rarely fumbles. Chandler’s ability in the receiving game showed well at the Shrine Bowl, where he played very well. His YAC potential after the catch is evident.
Chandler is not going to deliver big power at the line. He is not a physical runner. His vision could be better. Chandler is willing in pass protection. He has not really participated on special teams. Chandler has multiple facets to his game, enough to warrant consideration by the Ravens in the later rounds. Round 5-6.
Jerome Ford
Jerome Ford is 5’10, 210 lbs. from Cincinnati. Ford brings very good athleticism to the table. He was a one-year starter with a lot of tread left on his tires. Ford is quick-footed with good lateral agility and a second gear that makes him tough in the open-field. He will pop out of his cuts. Ford has good power and is tough in short yardage situations. He has enough speed to run away from defenders.
Ford has occasionally been inconsistent and inpatient. He runs with a relatively high pad level. He keeps his feet moving and keeps plays alive. Ford has some inside-outside to his game. Although not targeted much in the passing game, Ford showed some ability as a receiver though his route tree was basic. Ford has six career fumbles. There are things to like in Ford’s game and he would be a reasonable pick in the later rounds. Round 6.
Hassan Haskins
Hassan Haskins is 6’2, 228 lbs. from Michigan. Haskins is a big bodied powerful downhill runner. He can move the chains, but he does not bring elusive ability and does not have the burst one looks for. He’s just not a creator. Haskins will run through contact and is very competitive. He never fumbled on 452 carries. He will have to play faster in the NFL than he did in college. Haskins brings a great stiff-arm. He is not the most creative back. He wasn’t tasked much in the receiving game. Perhaps the most telling statistic for me is that he had only three runs of his 270 last year that went for more than 25 yards. Pass. Round 6.
Keaontay Ingram
Keaontay Ingram is 6’ 221 lbs. from USC. Ingram had a very good year after transferring from Texas, showing improved quickness playing at a lighter weight. Ingram has good lateral agility. He is tough but not as forceful as he should be, and has good patience. He has the ability to flip his hips to make tacklers miss. Ingram hasn’t shown enough consistent burst to turn the corner. He runs with good power and excellent balance. He does not hit top speed immediately. But he had an excellent week of practices at the Shrine Bowl. Ingram has had some injury history. Ingram is not a great blocker. In all, I see him as a middling prospect. Round 6-7.
Others
Zaquandre White, 6’, 215 lbs, South Carolina – Pass.
Tyrion Davis-Price, 6’, 211 lbs, LSU – Pass.
Snoop Conner, 5’10, 222 lbs, Mississippi – Pass.
