NFL Scout Offers Dire Warning About Baltimore Ravens' Derrick Henry Signing

Some believe that Derrick Henry could be the missing piece for the Baltimore Ravens offense, but one anonymous scout isn't so sure.

Oct 15, 2023; London, United Kingdom; Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry (22) carries the / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Missing piece or crash of the Titan? One anonymous NFL scout seems to believe the former.

Derrick Henry's signing with the Baltimore Ravens was one of the most monumental transactions of the NFL offseason, as countess observers viewed him as the supposed finishing touch on the purple championship project. But one scout isn't fully convinced that Henry's impact will lead to a Vince Lombardi Trophy hoist, offering a blunt, if not unpopular, analysis to Matthew Schmidt of NFL Analysis Network.

Oct 15, 2023; London, United Kingdom; Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry (22) runs in for / Peter van den Berg-USA TODAY Sports

“I’m not going to say that this was a bad move, but it doesn’t move the needle much for Baltimore,” the scout said. “Derrick Henry is not the same Derrick Henry from a few years ago. He’ll put up solid numbers, but he’s not an elite level running back anymore.”

Even with the considerable hype surrounding Henry's arrival, it's easy to see where the scout may be coming from: while Henry has undoubtedly been one of the most dominant running backs of the new century, Baltimore had the top rushing game in the league last year but that failed to save them against the mighty Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC title game.

While Henry's final Nashville season featured the usual production (1,167 rushing yards and a dozen touchdowns), the 4.2 yards her averaged per carry was his lowest since his second campaign back in 2017. Having turned 30 in January, Henry also isn't getting any younger.

Ultimately, Henry isn't going to unanimously sway any lingering doubters in the Ravens until it's time to take the field. Henry called out those sowing uncertainty in his first public comments as a Raven last month.

"Tell them to keep watching," Henry said, per Kevin Patra of NFL.com. "This foundation has been set for a very long time. They compete every year and always in the conversation. I wanted to be somewhere where I'm surrounded by great talent, have a great quarterback and great players around him as well. So just excited for this opportunity."