The running back prospects in the 2024 NFL draft are reviewed from the Baltimore Ravens perspective. Previous position analyses are listed below:
Offensive Players:
Wide receivers are reviewed here.
Tackles are reviewed here.
Guards are reviewed here.
Defensive Players:
Edge linebackers are reviewed here.
Cornerbacks are reviewed here.
Safeties are reviewed here.
The Ravens Current Running Back Situation and Need
The Ravens currently have two NFL caliber running backs on their roster. Derrick Henry is bound to be a traditional RB1 and is likely to average 20 or so carries per game. Justice Hill will get occasional carries and will be the third day specialist. We don’t know when, or whether, Keaton Mitchell will be fit enough to get back into the rotation. At the very least, the Ravens needs to add one rotational back to the running back room. Among the veteran free agents remaining, no one really stands out who could likely help the Ravens. Rashaad Penny probably has the most talent, but his health history is so poor one just wouldn’t rely on him.
Notwithstanding the need, I see this year’s running back class as the worst one I’ve evaluated. There is no first round talent. There is one back who is third round worthy. And, there are not many backs on my board who are worthy of draft capital from the Ravens perspective.
Because time is limited, I’m generally only writing-up the running back candidates who I think are draft worthy for the Ravens. I’ve excluded Jonathan Brooks and Blake Corum because I believe they will require more draft capital than the Ravens should expend. I don’t see this as the best season for the Ravens to spend running back capital as high as the third round. Perhaps they will for the first player on my list because he is only 21 years old. But, unless the Ravens accumulate additional picks in the first three rounds, it’s hard to justify spending third round draft capital on a player who might only get five to ten touches per game in 2024 – particularly given the other bigger needs, and arguably a better draft class next season.
Running Back Prospects
Jaylen Wright
Wright is 21 years old, 5’10 and 210 pounds from Tennessee. He ran an outstanding 4.38 forty. Wright is a very good athlete, with outstanding vertical and broad jump numbers.
Wright displayed very good contact balance and the ability to get yards after contact. He has good footwork, will put his hand in the ground to maintain that balance, and can full twist while maintaining that balance as well. He has the power to drag tacklers. Wright brings excellent lower leg drive and pop. He possesses a nice low center of gravity but could improve his bend. He averaged 4.35 yards after contact last season.
Wright displays excellent acceleration through the line, with the long speed to take it to the house. He can bounce things outside, beat defenders to a spot, get vertical, explode, and continue to separate. He has good patience to find the hole and good vision. Wright can press the line, and has the lateral ability to then take the run wide, with good footwork and explosion. He has good foot quickness. Wright can force a lot of bad tackling angles with his acceleration and speed. He was effective attacking all of the gaps and going wide, but was most effective going to the A-gap where he was devastating. He could stand to improve his decisiveness.
Although Wright wasn’t used a lot in the passing game, he looks natural and fluid when doing it. There’s good upside to his use in the passing attack.
Wright could stand to add a little more bulk to his body to help him lean forward on drive runs. He is very young and has only 368 carries in his career. I like Wright a lot and he’s the only back I’d consider in the third round. Round 3. Ravens: Yes.
Trey Benson
Benson is 21.75 years old, 6’ and 216 pounds from Florida State. He ran a 4.39 forty and is a good athlete.
What Benson offers at a high level is great long speed and explosiveness, and the ability to make tacklers miss. He offers excellent straight-line acceleration. But he’s not a great instinctual runner. He doesn’t consistently find the hole quickly enough. Benson is not the type of runner to drive the pile, and is not as powerful as his body size would suggest. He’s not necessarily a short yardage power runner. Notably, he never fumbled in his career.
Benson runs a bit too high, and won’t churn out the extra yards that you tend to want. He has good contact balance, and brings good footwork. His vision isn’t always the best, and he can find himself in the wrong hole as a result. Benson is not a natural cutter and doesn’t make people miss as a result. He is more of a one-cut and go back. But Benson will stay on his feet after contact. He was frequently off the field on third down.
Most people rate Benson higher than I do. Round 4. Ravens: No.
Tyrone Tracy Jr.
Tracy is 24.5 years old, 5’11 and 209 pounds from Purdue. He ran a 4.48 forty and is a solid athlete. Tracy was little used until last year (he was previously a wide receiver), and even then he only logged 146 carries to go with 19 catches. He offers tremendous agility (second best short shuttle time at the Combine among running backs) and natural fluidity, and is the type of back who will make you miss. He’s not a joy-stick, but cuts decisively and effectively. Last year almost 22% of his runs produced ten yards or more, top ten in the country — and that’s in the Big 10.
To his elusiveness Tracy adds very good contact balance. Tracy averaged an outstanding 4.44 yards after contact last year (fourth best in the country) and has good power. He stood out at the Shrine game. He can certainly make the cutback runs that can so often lead to big gains. On third down he will man up to the blitz. Tracy is sometimes too patient, missing opportunities. On the other hand, there were occasions where he reacted too quickly and chose the wrong lane or jumped to the outside prematurely. Given his relative inexperience, even at age 24.5, this is an area that may naturally improve with more live playing time. He should be a handful for linebackers tasked with staying with him on pass plays.
As a former wide receiver, Tracy has a very good pass catching skillset. He can threaten in different ways. He can also play special teams and can run back kicks. There’s little wear and tear on his body. I like what Tracy brings, and they are generally different skills than the Ravens current Henry-Hill combination. Round 4-5. Ravens: Yes.
Isaac Guerendo
Guerendo is almost 24 years old, 6’0 and 221 pounds from Louisville. He ran a blazing 4.33 forty, the fastest running back at the Combine. He’s an excellent athlete. Guerendo played his first four years at Wisconsin where he was mired by injuries (missing 23 games). Between his last season there and his one season at Louisville Guerendo had a total of 196 carries averaging six yards per pop; very little wear on his tires. He brings a thick frame.
Though Guerendo has very good straight line speed, he’s not as explosive through the hole as you’d expect. He’s not particularly elusive or agile, and you don’t see him juking and defeating tacklers. But he knows how to shift his weight. Guerendo has plenty of pop to lower his shoulder and drive back tacklers. He’s not a sudden running back, but possesses good footwork to create space. Guerendo is a one cutter with plenty of power below the hips. Guerendo can run both outside and inside. He’s a bit upright but powerful and can run through tackles. He has very good feet and the proper patience to find the hold. In the passing game Guerendo both picks up the blitz and is a capable receiver.
Guerendo does enough things well to warrant consideration. He’s capable of being on the field for you on all three downs. Round 4. Ravens: Yes.
Rasheen Ali
Ali is 23.2 years old, 5’11 and 206 pounds from Marshall. Due to a ruptured bicep injury at the Senior Bowl, he did not work out. He missed most of the 2022 season with an MCL knee injury, and one game last year with an ankle injury. He took off the 2022 season for personal reasons.
Ali brings excellent speed, good contact balance and body control, along with good footwork. He has good patience, vision, and anticipation. He’s also a very decisive back. Ali will stick his foot in the ground, take one cut, and go. What Ali doesn’t do as well is generate power through his lower body, and he does not generate the yards after contact like some of the other runners in this class.
He’s not the type of back to plow you over, but will lower his head and generate what he can. Ali has an excellent combination of explosion and acceleration. He gets into fifth gear very quickly. Ali has had a fumbling problem, including losing five last season. He’s a very good receiver.
Ali is probably best suited for an outside zone scheme. He has some interesting talents, but the challenge for his evaluation is the injury history and the fumbling concerns. Round 5. Ravens: No.
Kimani Vidal
Vidal is 22.7 years old, 5’7 and 213 pounds from Troy. He ran a 4.46 forty. He runs with extraordinary violence, and is an excellent power-speed combination back. Vidal forced 94 mistackles last year, second in the nation. He had over 1,000 yards after contact, and was the only runner in this draft class to do so. He hit 21.3 mph on a carry last year, so he has excellent long speed. And Vidal has outstanding burst, with a 4.15 short shuttle, which is top 5% all-time. He’s reputed as an extremely hard worker who coaches loved.
Vidal is an excellent athlete. He is very flexible. He obviously brings a low center of gravity and will bounce off and among tacklers with his quick feet. Vidal has not been the absolute home run hitter in the open field that some others are. Yet, his timed speed on the field suggests there is more lurking in him than what we’ve seen so far. He’s a very instinctive runner and definitely plays well between the tackles.
Vidal will attack defenders, bringing a powerful downhill running style. He’s a natural catching the ball. Scheme him in space as a receiver and get him the ball. Probably because he’s so powerful, he’s a very willing blocker who, even at his size, does not back down. Vidal could stand to be a little more patient. He jumps outside sometimes instead of allowing the hole to open on the inside between the tackles. This is an important area where he needs to improve.
In my view Vidal will maximize himself. He brings power, can stay on the field on third down and catch the ball, and give you some of that power style (and maybe more) that Gus Edwards brought. Granted, Derrick Henry already has that. But I wouldn’t be reluctant to spend draft capital on Vidal at the right place. I like him. Round 6. Ravens: Yes.
Dylan Laube
Laube is 24.4 years old, 5’9 and 206 pounds from New Hampshire. He ran a 4.54 forty and is a decent athlete. Laube is the ultimate jack-of-all-trades coming out of the backfield. He’s a very polished wide receiver, having caught 155 passes in his career including 68 last year. He was lined up over 100 times either in the slot or on the outside. At the Senior Bowl he ran routes as a wide receiver. Laube is also an excellent kick returner, returning four for touchdowns since the start of 2022.
As a pure running back, Laube lacks the burst or elusiveness that you’d look for. But he’s capable of setting up tacklers and making them miss. Nor will he be a dominating, inside the tackle runner, though he runs hard. But because you can use him as a receiver anywhere on the field and as a kick returner, he has some appeal. He’s not just a receiver; he can really threaten in that role. He is a one-cut runner with good agility who keeps his pads down and knows how to set up his blocks.
Laube’s on this list simply because of his versatility. His is not a compelling case, and he likely fits other teams better than the Ravens. Round 6. Ravens: No.
Others: No (several names are here because they will likely go much higher than warranted for the Ravens):
Marshawn Lloyd – USC
Audric Estime – Notre Dame
Bucky Irving – Oregon
Braelon Allen – Wisconsin
Ray Davis – Kentucky
Will Shipley – Clemson
Others: Possible (or priority free agent):
Daijun Edwards – Georgia
Blake Watson – Memphis
Emani Bailey – TCU
Jaden Shirden – Monmouth
