Ravens RB J.K. Dobbins will ‘explode into stardom’ in 2022

The Baltimore Ravens are looking forward to the returns of a number of injured stars in 2022, and perhaps none more so than young running back J.K. Dobbins.

Dobbins looked to be on the verge of breaking out as one of the NFL’s top backs in 2021 after a very promising rookie season. That was until he suffered a torn ACL in the preseason, ending his sophomore NFL campaign prematurely.

The Ravens are hoping to see a healthy Dobbins return in 2022 and pick up where he left off prior to his injury. And they believe that, if he could do so, he might just be on the verge of stardom.

That’s the sentiment shared by Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport as well. Davenport recently listed Dobbins as a player who will “explode into stardom” this season.

"“A year ago, plenty of articles like this pegged J.K. Dobbins of the Baltimore Ravens as the next big thing at running back. As a rookie in 2020, the former Ohio State star averaged six yards a carry and scored nine rushing touchdowns on just 134 carries. A second-year breakout was a fait accompli.With a healthy Dobbins likely to lead the team in carries, that big season so many saw coming may just be a year late.”"

J.K. Dobbins could have his breakout year with the Ravens in 2022

Dobbins burst onto the scene as a rookie rushing for 805 yards and nine touchdowns on a highly-efficient 6.0 yards per carry. He was one of the most effective running backs in the NFL, and he seemed to only be scratching the surface of his potential.

Unfortunately, any hopes of a breakout campaign came to an end after Dobbins suffered a torn ACL in the team’s final preseason game. In many ways, Dobbins’ injury was indicative of everything that went wrong with the Ravens last season.

Perhaps that expected breakout season was just pushed back a year, however.

The Ravens are once again expected to heavily rely on their running game this season, especially given their lack of depth at wide receiver. Dobbins should be in line for plenty of opportunities.

Of course, it’s never easy returning from a major knee injury, though. Both Dobbins and Gus Edwards spent the offseason rehabbing from torn ACLs and the Ravens are expected to be cautious with their returns to the gridiron.

We likely won’t see Dobbins suit up for action until Week 1, but when he does, all eyes will be on the third-year running back.

J.K. Dobbins had his second NFL season stripped away from him. He’ll be looking to make up for lost time in 2022.