4 Baltimore Ravens players facing a crucial 2023 season

Baltimore Ravens players facing a crucial 2023 season: RB J.K. Dobbins

Finally, we come to another big name, running back J.K. Dobbins. As a second-round pick back in 2020, Dobbins came in as a guy the Ravens thought they could build around as their franchise running back for years to come.

A decent rookie season was followed up by a horrible injury to his Achilles, forcing him out of the entire 2021 season and saw him miss a chunk of the 2022 season as well. When Dobbins returned last year, he started to look more and more like the guy we saw as a rookie.

Now able to go through an entire offseason of work, Dobbins is already in the final year of his contract. It sounds crazy saying this, but in three years as a pro, Dobbins has only rushed for 1,325 yards and 11 touchdowns due to missing so much time and not being "the guy" as a rookie.

The running back position isn't a position the NFL is kind toward anymore. Running backs are a dime a dozen these days, and if Dobbins wants a long-term deal, he will have to absolutely break out in 2022. This is a year where, if Dobbins is going to have a lengthy career and the bulk of it as a starter, he's going to need to prove it. His health is one thing, but he'll need to make the most of every opportunity he's given.

Baltimore has proven they can and will run the ball with just about anybody over the last few seasons, and Dobbins can't afford to become an afterthought following this year.