Ravens' Derrick Henry Living Up to Reputation

Derrick Henry is one of the hardest players to tackle in the NFL, as he's proving once again in his first Baltimore Ravens training camp.

Jul 27, 2024; Owings Mill , MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry (22) after a drill during the afternoon session of training camp at the Under Armour Performance Center, Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports / Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry has been arguably the most dominant running back in the NFL over the past several seasons, and what makes him so dominant is his physical, punishing style of rushing.

Henry comes in at a massive 6-2 and 247 pounds, and he's very fast for someone that big. That combination of size and speed makes him extremely difficult to tackle, as Ravens defenders are learning all over again throughout training camp.

After Saturday's practice, nose tackle Michael Pierce, the biggest player on Baltimore's defense at 355 pounds, spoke on the struggles of defending Henry throughout the opening days of camp.

"It's not fun," Pierce told reporters. "Normally, I get a double team, and then by the time the double team comes off, there is a guy [in Derrick Henry] who's taller than me running through the hole, really, really fast. So, it's good to have him on my side."

Luckily, the Ravens now only have to deal with Henry in practice instead of an actual game. The 30-year-old terrorized Baltimore's defense several times over his eight-year run with the Tennessee Titans, rushing for 277 yards and three touchdowns in four regular season meetings. That doesn't even include his 195-yard performance in the 2019 Divisional Round, in which he also threw a touchdown to add insult to injury.

"As of right now, it's not fun for camp, but I've been on the other side of playing against him a few times," Pierce said. "One went terribly wrong, so I know what he's capable of. It's not fun, but also, I'm glad he'll be doing that for us instead of against us now."

Even as he enters his 30s, Henry is still a phenomenal running back as he rushed for 1,167 yards and 12 touchdowns last season. He now joins what was already the best rushing offense in the league last season, forming a deadly duo with reigning MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson.

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