Ravens RB Derrick Henry Slides Down Top 100 List

Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry is still among the best playerss in the league, but his status may be slipping.
Jan 7, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA;  Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry (22) takes the field during the first half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 7, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry (22) takes the field during the first half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports / Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports
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Consistency can be very hard to come by in the NFL, but Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry has mastered the art of it.

With five 1,000-yard seasons in the past six (and he came very close in 2021 despite playing just eight games), Henry has been arguably the most dominant running back in the league for years now. Even last year, which was considered a "down year" by his standards, he still rushed for 1,167 yards and 12 touchdowns. If that's a subpar season, then you know you have a special player on your hands.

Due to Henry's continued excellent play, it's no surprise that Henry once again landed on the NFL Top 100, a list voted on by the players themselves. However, he came in at just No. 49 this year, a significant drop from his No. 25 ranking the year before.

"Henry was the central figure in the Tennessee offense for eight seasons, and his spot on this list is well-earned due to his durability and power, having missed only one game the last two years and leading the league in carries both seasons," NFL.com's Coral Smith writes. "He recorded 1,167 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns in 2023, his fifth season with 1,000-plus rushing yards and sixth with double-digit scores."

It's possible that Henry's drop this year comes not from a fault of his own, but rather the general devaluing of the running back position around the league.

He's just the third running back to apepar so far, alongside Raheem Mostert at No. 60 and Saquon Barkley at No. 86. Christian McCaffrey will be very high on the list, but aside from him, it's hard to imagine another running back appearing in the currently-unrevealed top 40.

No matter what any ranking says, Henry will go out there and continue to do what makes him special, just trading his navy blue uniform for a purple and black one. With his bruising physicality alongside Lamar Jackson's elusiveness, Baltimore's rushing offense looks more dangerous than ever.

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Jon Alfano

JON ALFANO