Henry, Barkley, or Jacobs? Ranking Which Free Agent RB Fits Ravens

Should the Ravens try to sign a veteran running back such as Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley, or Josh Jacobs in free agency?

The Baltimore Ravens were dominant this past regular season, but could the team make a splashy addition in free agency on offense?

One of the biggest criticisms of the Ravens offense in the AFC Championship was that the team didn't run the ball enough, but with star veteran running backs such as Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry, and Josh Jacobs on the free agent market, let's take a look at who would best help solve that problem.

With three high-caliber veteran running backs, Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry, and Josh Jacobs, all set to be free agents this offseason, who would fit best for the Baltimore Ravens? / Jerome Miron, Christopher Hanewinckel, Gary A. Vasquez -USA Today

Baltimore has shown interest in investing heavily in the running back room, such as when it drafted J.K. Dobbins in the second round. Unfortunately, injuries have been an issue for his production. In addition to investing draft capital into the position group, the team signing Dalvin Cook indicates it's open to taking on a veteran next season. Now, let's look at those three highly talented options on the market. 

3. Derrick Henry

Against the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship, it seemed as though Baltimore wanted to avoid putting Lamar Jakcson's body in peril by utilizing him too heavily in the run game, and it hampered the team's rushing attack, which is the Ravens' true identity, but perhaps no one is more durable than 'King Henry.'

Despite being the running back with the most touches on this list, Henry seems to still have gas left in the tank and is a freakish human being who has had the highest highs of anyone on this list and is a future Hall of Famer who's one of the few to have ever rushed for over 2,000 yards in an NFL season, something he's done at every level going back to his high school days. 

Henry won't offer much in the passing game, but as a rusher, he's an all-time great on the verge of 11,000 career rushing yards and 100 touchdowns while always being the focal point of the Tennessee Titans offense. 

Between Jackson's finesse as a dual-threat quarterback when scrambling and Henry's ability to wear down defenses and get better later in games, this pairing could be terrific on the field. The only question is, when will Father Time take away Henry's crown? Coming off of a Pro Bowl season, gambling on the 30-year-old could be a wise decision for the Ravens, especially if the oldest veteran on this list comes at a discount because of it.

2. Saquon Barkley

In four out of Barkley's six seasons, he has had over 1,200 yards; in three of those, he had at least 10 touchdowns. However, unlike Henry, the knock on Barkley is his durability. There have only ever been two seasons where he played at least 16 games. 

What makes Barkley arguably the top free-agent prospect on this list is his versatile skillset. Barkley was destined to become a star in the NFL going back to his days at Penn State, where he earned first-name celebrity status and has been called Saquon his entire career as if he were a superstar like Drake. 

Coming into the league, Saquon had ridiculously high expectations placed upon him, with many comparing his style to Detroit Lions Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders, but with more size. 

At his best, Saquon is the most extraordinary talent that could be added to the team from this list because he offers not only elite rushing but the receiving ability of an actual wideout; it's just that his durability has held him back from living up to the expectations many had for his career, so he's the biggest gamble on this list.

1. Josh Jacobs

One of the biggest positives regarding Jacobs is that he's the youngest running back on this list at age 25, so in theory, he should have the most tread left on his tires.

As recently as 2022, Jacobs was a first-team All-Pro running back who led the league in rushing with over 1,600 yards, and Jacobs has never had less than 1,100 yards from scrimmage.

He isn't the most dominant runner or the best receiver on this list. Still, the two-time Pro Bowler is the safest bet to continue producing at a high level if the Ravens were to sign him this offseason and considering the success that Baltimore's running backs had last season with significantly less talent than a running back of his caliber, he could be exactly what this offense needs to remain unstoppable in the playoffs next season.

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It could take some contract restructuring, but if the Ravens can sign any of these running backs, the team could be even more lethal going forward, and all of them seem like safer bets than the one the franchise took by signing Odell Beckham Jr. last offseason. 

Baltimore has a ton of its own free agents to negotiate contracts with, with many of them coming on defense. However, the best way to avoid potentially taking a step back due to losing pieces on defense is to add to the team's offense and score even more points next season.