ESPN’s Clark shares absurd take on Henry joining the Ravens

Derrick Henry. Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK

ESPN’s Ryan Clark shares absurd take on Derrick Henry joining the Ravens

By Michael Gallagher | Last updated 3/13/24

The Baltimore Ravens’ addition of former two-time NFL rushing champion Derrick Henry was sure to bring about varying degrees of judgment from those in league circles.

But ESPN analyst Ryan Clark may have had one of the more visceral reactions to Henry joining the reigning AFC North champions during an appearance on ESPN’s “Get Up” on Wednesday morning when he essentially implied that Henry’s signing has no bearing on Baltimore’s playoff outlook.

“Ehh,” Clark said. “…We’re looking at a guy like Derrick Henry replacing Gus Edwards and you’re thinking about more so the aura of Derrick Henry than what he is actually is going to add to a run game that was already No. 1 in the entire NFL. … This doesn’t change the fate of the Baltimore Ravens. … This doesn’t change the fact that Kansas City is the team to beat.”

While Clark’s overall premise of adding Henry doesn’t make the Ravens better than the Chiefs is likely correct, the rest of his argument falls flat.

"Derrick Henry has a unique ability to play with incredible power and he's gonna make a difference for the Baltimore Ravens..

I don't think they'll go into a playoff game next year and run it nine times" ~ @mlombardiNFL #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/APsYjliKS8
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 13, 2024

During their 17-10 loss to the Chiefs in the AFC Championship game, the Ravens ran the ball just 16 times with eight of those runs coming from quarterback Lamar Jackson. Henry has had fewer than 18 carries in the playoffs just once, and he’s averaged 4.7 yards per carry and 104.5 yards rushing in seven postseason games.

It’s hard to see Baltimore abandoning the run again with its season on the line when it has a player of that caliber on its roster.

A rare combination of size (6-foot-3, 247 pounds) and speed (NexGen Stats clocked him at nearly 22 miles per hour just two seasons ago), Henry is a home-run threat who’s a nightmare to take down in the open field.

While Edwards, Justice Hill and Keaton Mitchell all comprised the top rushing unit in the NFL, few would argue that Henry isn’t an upgrade over all three of them, or that his presence doesn’t make the team’s offense exponentially more dangerous.

More must-reads: