The Baltimore Ravens enter training camp with one of the NFL’s most physically imposing running back rooms, and the group still starts with Derrick Henry.
Henry remains the tone-setter, a future Hall of Fame back and one of the most unique offensive weapons of his generation. Behind him, Baltimore has Justice Hill’s experience, Rasheen Ali’s developmental value, and three rookies with different profiles in Adam Randall, Elijah Tau-Tolliver, and Dontae McMillan. For a Ravens offense built around Lamar Jackson, Henry, and a powerful run game, the backfield competition will matter.
Position overview
The Ravens do not have a question at the top of the depth chart. Henry is the lead back, the closer, and the player who gives Baltimore’s offense its bruising identity.
The more interesting question is how the Ravens build the room behind him. Hill is the experienced passing-down option. Ali has been in Baltimore’s system and still has special teams value. Randall gives the Ravens a massive, high-upside rookie with a receiving background. McMillan brings proven college production after rushing for more than 1,000 yards at Eastern Michigan.
Tau-Tolliver is the wild card.
Baltimore does not need every running back to do the same thing. In Declan Doyle’s offense, the Ravens need a group that can protect Jackson, finish drives, handle special teams work, and keep Henry from being overextended across a long season.
Derrick Henry
Henry remains the centerpiece.
Listed at 6-foot-2 and 252 pounds, Henry is entering his 11th NFL season and still gives Baltimore a rare combination of size, power, speed, and finishing ability. He rushed 307 times for 1,595 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2025, averaging 5.2 yards per carry and proving he remains one of the league’s most productive backs. Henry’s presence shapes everything. Defenses have to account for his downhill power, and that opens space for Jackson, play-action concepts, and Baltimore’s passing game. Even at 32, Henry remains the kind of back who can change a game with one run.
The Ravens’ goal should be keeping him explosive and healthy for December and January. That makes the depth behind him important.
Justice Hill
Hill is the veteran counterpunch.
Listed at 5-foot-10 and 205 pounds, Hill is entering his eighth NFL season and brings experience, pass-game value, and special teams reliability. His 2025 rushing production was limited, but his role has never been strictly about carries. Hill’s value comes from protection, receiving ability, third-down awareness, and trust. That matters in Baltimore because Jackson needs backs who can handle responsibilities away from the ball. Hill has been in the system, understands the offense, and gives the Ravens a steady presence behind Henry.
His roster spot should be strong, but his offensive role could be pushed by the rookies if one of them proves ready.
Rasheen Ali
Ali enters camp trying to carve out a more defined role.
The former Marshall standout is listed at 5-foot-11 and 210 pounds and is entering his third season. He had limited offensive work in 2025, finishing with seven carries for 24 yards, but his value remains tied to his speed, special teams ability, and developmental upside. Ali’s path is straightforward. He has to prove he can be trusted in the kicking game and show enough as a runner to justify a roster spot in a crowded room. With Henry and Hill established, the final running back spots could come down to special teams and preseason production.
Ali has been in the Ravens’ building, and that experience matters.
Adam Randall
Randall gives Baltimore one of the most intriguing physical profiles in the rookie class.
Listed at 6-foot-3 and 232 pounds, Randall arrived from Clemson as a fifth-round pick and brings unusual size for the position. He also has a different background than most backs because he spent much of his college career as a wide receiver before moving into the backfield.
That makes him fascinating in Baltimore’s offense. Randall has the frame to run through contact, but his receiving background could give Doyle another way to create mismatches. He will need time to develop as a true running back, especially in pass protection, vision, and running through traffic, but the raw tools are obvious.
Randall’s roster case should be strong because of the draft investment and upside. The question is how quickly the Ravens can trust him on game day.
Dontae McMillan
McMillan is the production sleeper.
Listed at 5-foot-10 and 203 pounds, the Eastern Michigan product enters camp after rushing 177 times for 1,014 yards and four touchdowns in 2025, averaging 5.7 yards per carry. He also had five 100-yard rushing games and showed all-purpose value, including a game against Western Michigan in which he became the first player in program history to post 100-plus rushing yards and 100-plus receiving yards in the same game.
That versatility gives him a path. McMillan is not the biggest back in the room, and he does not have Randall’s draft status or Henry’s power, but he has proven production and enough receiving value to make himself interesting.
His challenge is roster math. To stick, McMillan likely needs to show he can play on special teams, handle protections, and offer more than standard reserve running back value. If he does that, he could become a practice squad priority or push for a surprise roster spot.
Deep dive: Elijah Tau-Tolliver
Tau-Tolliver may be the most interesting developmental back on the roster.
Listed at 6-foot and 204 pounds, the rookie from Michigan State gives the Ravens a different type of evaluation. He is not as massive as Henry or Randall, not as established as Hill, and not as experienced in Baltimore’s system as Ali. That leaves him fighting for attention in a crowded room, but it also makes his camp performance especially important.
Tau-Tolliver’s best path is showing burst, vision, and toughness once the pads come on. He has to prove he can create yards on his own, protect the football, and handle the details that often decide roster spots for young running backs. For Baltimore, that means pass protection, ball security, and special teams willingness.
The Ravens do not need Tau-Tolliver to become a featured back as a rookie. They need to find out whether he is worth developing. In a room led by Henry, there is value in keeping young backs who can learn the system, absorb the physical identity of the offense, and grow into future depth.
Tau-Tolliver also has to use preseason games to separate himself. Practice reps can get limited behind Henry, Hill, Randall, Ali, and McMillan, so every carry matters. If he breaks tackles, runs with urgency, and shows that he can contribute on special teams, he can move from roster long shot to practice squad priority.
That is why he is worth a deeper look. Baltimore’s top running back roles may already be mostly defined, but the bottom of the roster is open for a young back to force the conversation.
Biggest question
How many running backs will the Ravens keep?
Henry is a lock. Hill has the experience and passing-down value to be safe. Randall’s draft status and upside give him a strong roster case. After that, the competition becomes more interesting.
Ali has system experience and special teams value. McMillan has college production and all-purpose ability. Tau-Tolliver has developmental traits and a chance to make noise in the preseason. The Ravens could keep four running backs, but the final number may depend on special teams, injuries, and whether the coaching staff wants to protect one of the rookies from waivers.
That makes every preseason touch important.
Bottom line
The Ravens’ running back room is built around Henry, but the depth behind him could shape how Baltimore manages the offense.
Hill gives the Ravens experience and third-down value. Ali gives them a familiar developmental option. Randall brings size and upside. McMillan brings production. Tau-Tolliver brings a fresh rookie profile and a chance to climb if he flashes in camp.
The Ravens do not need to replace Henry. They need to build a backfield deep enough to support him, protect Jackson, and keep the offense physical through a long season.
That makes running back one of the more interesting position groups to watch when training camp opens.
This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Baltimore Ravens 2026 training camp preview: Running Back
About the Author
