Getty J.K. Dobbins on the field before Ravens vs. Bills in 2021.
The last few seasons, the Baltimore Ravens have been building a roster that has plenty of bright spots for the present as well as the future.
On the offensive side of the ball, the Ravens have a player who is very capable of breaking out next season, and that’s especially true given the workload he will have. Running back J.K. Dobbins is beginning to generate some hype as one of the next big things at his position.
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Recently, Bleacher Report took a look at picking out the player on every team who is a breakout candidate for 2021, and Dobbins was the choice of writer Kristopher Knox thanks to all he can do on the field and how he can help the Baltimore offense.
He said:
“Baltimore Ravens running back J.K. Dobbins was impressive as a rookie last season, rushing for 805 yards and nine touchdowns while adding 120 receiving yards. However, he has room to see an expanded role after he played 45 percent of the offensive snaps.
While Dobbins will still likely split time with Gus Edwards, he should see a bigger role. The Ravens waived Mark Ingram II (16 percent of the snaps last season) in January, leaving a solid chunk of carries.
Dobbins may not be a workhorse back given Baltimore’s committee approach and its reliance on quarterback Lamar Jackson as a runner. However, increased opportunities and his maturation as a professional could help him break into the Pro Bowl conversation.”
Dobbins won’t have to fight anyone for carries this year after Mark Ingram has moved on, so it’s obvious that he will be the lead dog for the Ravens in the running back room. That will be huge for his confidence, and could lead to some amazing production this season.
Ravens Have Solid Running Back Room
Credit Gus Edwards for sticking with the team and not wanting to move on given the fact that Dobbins is likely to be the unquestioned starter and key contributor for the foreseeable future. Perhaps Edwards sees himself as a complement to Dobbins and understands his role on the team if not embraces it. All of these questions will have to be sorted out soon, and it will be interesting to see if anyone takes a swing at trying to nab Edwards given his situation in Baltimore with the roster. There might not be a ton of touches to go around for the backfield, but this move likely ensures that Edwards is going to remain a huge part of the team’s rushing attack moving forward and will make a big case for more touches.
Dobbins will likely be the unquestioned lead dog at the position, however.
Dobbins’ Stats and Highlights
Dobbins entered the Ravens as a player who seemed to be on track to become one of the stars in the league, and he’s wasted no time getting this done. In his rookie season, Dobbins rushed for an impressive 805 yards and 9 touchdowns, and that was while dealing with others in the backfield. This coming season, Dobbins should be on track to be even more productive, given the team is banking on him to be the lead dog.
Here’s some of the top plays from Dobbins’ rookie season on the field:
Dobbins has been standing out for a while so it’s nice to see him getting some love for his future potential with the Ravens. It might only be a matter of time before he breaks out completely in 2021.
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