You can make a strong case that the Baltimore Ravens have the league’s best roster heading into Week 1 of the NFL season. There are going to be several players released by Baltimore over the next three weeks who will immediately catch on to other teams’ 53-man rosters and immediately have roles. That is why the Ravens would be wise to try to trade away a few pieces for draft picks, if possible.
One such player is Rasheen Ali, a former fifth-round pick from Marshall. Ali missed the start of his rookie season due to an injury, and it was hard for him to crack the rotation after. He finished the season with just 10 carries, eight of which came in a blowout win over the Giants in the middle of the season.
Ali is a very obvious trade option going into Week 1
The good news is that Ali is healthy this summer and is having a good offseason with the Ravens. He does a good job of making defenders miss in the open field and can be an effective receiver in the right offense. He is a one-cut runner that thrives in a heavy zone-blocking scheme and the NFL is always looking for players with his three-down ability.
However, Ali is no higher than fourth on the depth chart in Baltimore, and that doesn’t bode well for his chances. Derrick Henry is the clear-cut starter, and the Ravens just rewarded him with a new contract extension this offseason. Justice Hill is the passing-down back and really took a step forward as a weapon in 2024, catching 42 passes from Lamar Jackson.
But the return of Keaton Mitchell has made things more difficult for Ali, as Mitchell is just a far more explosive athlete and pairs better with Henry as a rotational back. Mitchell was fantastic in the opening preseason game and showcased why he should get more touches in Baltimore’s offense moving forward.
If the Ravens do decide to trade Ali ahead of the 53-man roster cutdown date, you can expect that they would only receive a very late-round pick or a pick swap. However, there should be plenty of teams interested in Ali, considering his age and the fact that he still has three years remaining on his rookie contract.
The Ravens would love to stash Ali on their practice squad, if possible. But he is too talented as a runner to make it through waivers, and there are too many teams needing running back help across the league. Expect the Ravens to entertain trade offers for Ali as we inch closer to Week 1.