Would Ravens Keep Keaton Mitchell Over Melvin Gordon?

The son of a previous Baltimore Ravens champion, Keaton Mitchell is facing off against accomplished veteran Melvin Gordon for a Charm City roster spot.

The future of the running back position has been one of the more firey debates of the NFL offseason's final stages. What's transpiring in the Baltimore Ravens' backfield is a blip on the broader radar but is still worth monitoring as preseason games prepare to get underway.

Baltimore's success running the ball is partially predicated on the potential comeback of J.K. Dobbins. Gus Edwards has proven reliable as a spell option but has appeared in only nine games over the last two seasons. With Justice Hill back on a two-year extension, debate now turns to the final depth stars: accomplished yet aging Melvin Gordon is set to do battle against undrafted rookies Keaton Mitchell and Owen Wright.

It feels safe to say that at least one of the trio will be kept on the roster as uncertainty surrounds Dobbins' readiness for opening weekend. Gordon, while, far from his four-digit yardage self prominently on display during his time with the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers organization, feels like the favorite. Even though he's nowhere near the height of his powers, he's still capable on contributing both on the ground and through the air, averaging 8.9 yards on 25 receptions with the Denver Broncos last year.

But, as Parker Hurley of Ebony Bird suggests, the Ravens could give their unheralded freshmen a chance, particularly Mitchell, the son of Anthony, a hidden hero of Baltimore past: the elder Mitchell, himself an undrafted rookie, ran back a blocked field 90-yards for a touchdown in the Ravens' first run to the Super Bowl in 2000-01, a score that gave them a permanent lead over the Tennessee Titans in the AFC Divisional round. Anthony played eight NFL seasons between Baltimore, Jacksonville, and Cincinnati. 

Keaton comes to the Ravens out of East Carolina, where he barely beat out All-Pro Chris Johnson for the third-best rushing tally in Pirates history (3,027). He proved equally effective in the receiving game, picking up an additional 580 yards on 60 receptions.

Among the undrafted, the young Mitchell is starting to stand out in the eyes of an unforgiving tenured coaching staff. Head coach John Harbaugh, for example, praised Mitchell for "show(ing) he can run (and having) good hands" while newly-minted offensive coordinator Todd Monken noted his "elite speed" in a report from Brian Wacker of the Baltimore Sun. 

The offensive minds aren't the only ones excited about Mitchell can bring to the table, as special teams boss Chris Horton hinted that he could take on box score roles in his department.

“I think he’s got the right mindset, he’s got the right makeup,” Horton said, per Wacker. “We’re going to let him return some punts. We’re going to let him return some kicks. We’re going to let him play some punts out at gunner. We’re just going to give him every opportunity to make this football team and put himself in position to make this football team.”

That could lead to an early end for Gordon, who was last seen on the practice squad of the Kansas City Chiefs, granted a Super Bow ring despite not playing a single game day down in red. As Hurley notes, Mitchell would likely get more looks from teams looking to fill out their own practice squads, with Gordon's experience working against him in the most macabrely ironic way possible. Time will what direction Baltimore's rushing game takes, but there seems to be little doubt that Mitchell will get every opportunity to land among the opening 53 come September. 

Gordon and Mitchell will have their first opportunity to impress when the Ravens kick off their preseason affairs next Saturday against the Philadelphia Eagles (7 p.m. ET, WBAL/NFL Network). 

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Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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