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Baltimore Ravens: Projecting 3 surprise stars of season opener

By Chris Schisler

OWINGS MILLS, MARYLAND - JUNE 10: Pernell McPhee #90 of the Baltimore Ravens poses for a photo at the Under Armour Performance Center on June 10, 2019 in Owings Mills, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
OWINGS MILLS, MARYLAND - JUNE 10: Pernell McPhee #90 of the Baltimore Ravens poses for a photo at the Under Armour Performance Center on June 10, 2019 in Owings Mills, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /
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CLEVELAND, OH – DECEMBER 22: Justice Hill #43 of the Baltimore Ravens runs with the ball during the game against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium on December 22, 2019 in Cleveland, Ohio. Baltimore defeated Cleveland 31-15. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH – DECEMBER 22: Justice Hill #43 of the Baltimore Ravens runs with the ball during the game against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium on December 22, 2019 in Cleveland, Ohio. Baltimore defeated Cleveland 31-15. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images) /

3. Justice Hill

Everybody is expecting the Baltimore Ravens to run the ball well. Everybody expects big things from Mark Ingram. Gus Edwards is a known commodity. The expectations for J.K. Dobbins are through the roof for a second round pick joining a crowded group of running backs. We’ve barely talked about Justice Hill this offseason, but he’s not going anywhere. That makes him an excellent candidate for a surprise performer. If the Ravens are really going to fit all four running backs into the rotation, all of them have to be able to contribute. It can’t just be the Mark Ingram show with a splash of Dobbins.

Hill went from being the main attraction at Oklahoma State to a player who didn’t get that many chances with the football. His rookie year was an adjustment. To put it into a basketball analogy he went from being the starting shooting guard to being the eighth or ninth man on the bench. While Hill showed flashes he never really shined the way he was hoping to. He averaged 3.8 yards per carry, but he only had 56 rushing attempts and five receptions. Hill has spent the offseason getting used to the difference in workload. Plus, there is nothing that gets people to take the next step like competition. Hill has to make every touch count. There are a lot of mouths to feed in the backfield and he has to make sure he gets his fair shake.

Next. Ravens Q&A: Getting ready for the season opener. dark

The fact that the sample size is so small for Hill means we can’t get too bogged down in the stats he put up in his rookie season. For all we know, Hill could be a secret weapon. He was a fourth round pick but he was a superstar at the NCAA level. Hill rushed for 3,539 yards in his three years in the Big 12. He had a collegiate career average of 5.6 yards per carry with 30 touchdowns on the ground. Hill has a chance to be the surprise, not just of the season opener but of the season. He’s an explosive runner who can be a dynamic play-maker in the NFL. The potential is there.

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