The Baltimore Ravens are banking on upside with running back Adam Randall. And there’s plenty of that. They just need to dig relentlessly to uncover it.
Randall didn’t start toting the rock until his 2025 campaign at Clemson, so he’ll need some seasoning at the spot before he truly makes an impact in the NFL. Thankfully, Baltimore’s coaching staff is giving him that.
In the preseason opener, Randall was the lead bellcow. He saw a ton of reps, carrying the ball 12 times for 46 yards and one touchdown, while also hauling in one of two targets for two yards. Sure, the production doesn’t look great, but he’s getting every opportunity he needs to take strides in the backfield.
Baltimore Ravens’ relentless usage of Adam Randall will do wonders for his development
It’s hard to look at Adam Randall and not dream about his ceiling. He’s a 6-foot-3, 232-pound back with strong top-end speed. If you’re an opposing defender, that’s a scary sight to see coming right for you.
Randall has a deeper bag than size and speed, though. He’s a former receiver, so you know his hands are A1; he demonstrated competence as a blocker in college, and he even brings some intrigue in the return game. Package that all together, and Randall’s truly a player that can be anything he wants to be.
Whoever drafted Randall needed to be bought into his development big-time, and one week into preseason action, the Ravens have been the exact definition of that. I mean, it already helps that he was owner Steve Bisciotti’s pick, but the coaching staff is clearly buying into the buzz, too.
Of course, with Rasheen Ali out due to an undisclosed injury, Randall was guaranteed a major uptick in snaps. That undoubtedly played a role in him getting consistent touches for all four quarters. Regardless, he led running backs with 34 offensive snaps, which is the kind of workload he desperately needed.
There's still probably a ton of work for Randall to do before he even sniffs offensive reps with the Ravens on gamedays. His pad level is way too high, and there’s a level of uncertainty that he has before hitting the gap. On the bright side, though, if he keeps getting the in-game experience he had against the Eagles, that can be something he figures out with time.
It’ll be tough for him to unseat Justice Hill as the lead backup to Derrick Henry this year. In fact, that’s close to impossible. However, if he can make an impact as a kick returner, along with showing continued improvements as a running back, he could start trending up and possibly surpass Rasheen Ali for the RB3 spot on the depth chart.
It’s early, and honestly, it wasn’t a great start for Randall. But he’s being put in a very favorable position this preseason. It may not mean immediate reps in the regular season, yet it should do wonders for his long-term progression.
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