Ebony Bird round-table: Picking our favorite Baltimore Ravens draft pick
Richard Bradshaw: J.K. Dobbins
Do you know how good teams stay good? They draft for future needs, not current. The Baltimore Ravens went into the 2020 NFL Draft not needing any help at the running back spot. But when the 55th pick rolled around and Ohio State’s J.K. Dobbins was sitting there, they took him and didn’t think twice about it.
Dobbins is the Buckeyes all-time leading rusher with nearly 4,500 rushing yards and 38 touchdowns. Dobbins also caught 71 passes in his three seasons in Columbus, Ohio, showing a knack as a receiver in addition to being a terrific runner (6.2 career YPC). This made Dobbins a universal top-four running back in the 2020 NFL Draft, and my personal top-dog.
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Baltimore selected Dobbins even though it already possesses Mark Ingram, Gus Edwards, and Justice Hill. Despite having a plethora of talent in the backfield, they still drafted Dobbins, who might be the best of the bunch already. It gives the Ravens another terrific running back in an offense that loves to run the ball and an all-around terrific offensive weapon.
It makes even more sense for the future of the franchise, as Ingram is entering his age-30 season with an out in his contract after this season, and Edwards is a restricted free agent following 2020. This gives Baltimore some flexibility to move on from either of them if they choose to roll with the younger, cheaper, and more talented Dobbins.
With how loaded the Ravens are throughout their roster, the team could afford to spend a luxury pick on a position that is already sufficient, and that’s precisely what it did with the selection of Dobbins. The value at pick 55 overall and his immediate and future impact with the team makes this pick one of the best in its draft class.