4 Ravens players set for a historic comeback season in 2022
By Kristen Wong
1. J.K. Dobbins, RB, Ravens
Barring any further injury, J.K. Dobbins isn’t going to pass up the chance of finally becoming the Ravens’ featured back this season.
In 2020, Dobbins was integrated in a running back-by-committee approach with Gus Edwards and Mark Ingram, but after his uber-productive rookie season, the Ravens deemed him worthy of RB1 duties in 2021. Entering Year 2, Dobbins was even listed as a back who could threaten Eric Dickerson’s 37-year-old single-season rushing record, up there along with Derrick Henry, Dalvin Cook, and Nick Chubb.
Then, Dobbins tore his ACL during Baltimore’s preseason finale. He spent the entire last year in rehab, but he has only one thing on his mind in 2022: Dominate the run game.
With unrivaled dual-threat Pro Bowl potential, Dobbins can return to the starting lineup with the same explosiveness he carried when he was a rookie. The Ravens stated they were “confident” Dobbins would return to full strength in 2022, and so far, all the initial signs are promising.
Dobbins posted 805 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns and added an additional 18 catches for 120 receiving yards in his first year in the league. Behind a revamped O-line in 2022, he should eclipse the 1,000-yard rushing mark without breaking a sweat, not to mention the impact he can make in the passing game.
Baltimore’s rushing attack remained consistently productive even in Dobbins and Edwards’ absences last season, as the team finished third overall in rushing yards per game. Yet the Ravens would probably like to see more efficiency in the run game, and that’s where Dobbins comes in.
At his worst, he would figure as a 2021 version of Devonta Freeman, but at his best, he possesses the talent to move the needle in the Ravens’ run-heavy scheme more than Lamar Jackson ever could.
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Primed for a breakout season for the ages, Dobbins opens up the Ravens’ offense and provides both a powerful set of legs and sure hands in 2022. Fantasy footballers, don’t sleep on J.K. Dobbins.