The Baltimore Ravens carry a stacked roster, which can make for tough decisions when it comes to who to make active on game days. However, with such a disappointing start, changes are needed.
Starters need to improve on both the offensive and defensive sides, but the team could also benefit from seeing other playmakers take the field. One of those is third-year running back Keaton Mitchell.
Mitchell has been a healthy scratch through three weeks of action. The decision has largely been due to Baltimore having a deep arsenal of weapons on offense. Head Coach John Harbaugh and the rest of his coaching staff have made it known they want to see more from Mitchell on special teams. It is understandable to want him to contribute as a return man, but at some point, something needs to change, and the excuses are getting ridiculous.
Baltimore’s Special Teams Coordinator, Chris Horton, spoke to the media on Friday. Regarding Mitchell, he mentioned the coaches want to see more from him on special teams than just kick returning.
“[Mitchell’s] position is a gunner,” Horton said. “We have guys in that position right now that are playing pretty well. That’ll be a position that he’ll be competing in…It’s not so much that, he’s not getting better at the things he needs to get better at, it’s just like, ‘where do we plug and play him at?’”
Keaton Mitchell needs to play
Special teams have become all the more crucial with the new rule on kick returns. It has led to many more impactful plays, and with Harbaugh at the helm, many roster decisions factor in special teams. However, the offense needs help, and the unit is currently out of sync, especially in the run game.
Derrick Henry is still one of the best running backs in the NFL, Justice Hill provides sustainable play on passing downs, and Rasheen Ali has been a special teams extraordinaire early on. With three key contributors, there is not a ton of room for Mitchell, but the Ravens have not been rushing the football as well as people have expected them to. Mitchell can fix that.
When Mitchell was healthy, he was putting up unreal numbers. He kicked his career off with 396 yards on 8.4 yards per carry through eight games in 2023. The ACL tear he suffered late in that season hampered him in 2024, but he looked back up to speed in this year’s preseason. Still, it is fair to have some concerns after such a horrific knee injury, but Baltimore needs to give him an opportunity soon.
Henry has also been struggling with fumbles, and the offensive line has not been creating holes up front consistently. Mitchell could be the change-of-pace back Baltimore needs, giving opposing defenses little time to react with his explosiveness, while simultaneously taking some of the stress off of Henry's shoulders.
The Ravens are matched up against some great quarterbacks in their upcoming games. Patrick Mahomes, Matthew Stafford, and C.J. Stroud are all capable of leading strong offensive attacks in any given week, and Mitchell can help set the pace and provide explosive plays when needed in those matchups.
It is true that Mitchell must improve to make a more significant impact for the team as a whole, but it is also true that the running game needs a jolt. Mitchell is too good to be left on the bench.