Baltimore Ravens superstar running back Derrick Henry is still one of the most dangerous players at his position in the entire NFL.
Even at 32 years old, Henry has continued to terrorize opposing defenses. He is gearing up to do so once again during the 2026 season, which will be his 11th year in the NFL.
While Henry has remained highly productive, the fact of the matter is that he is aging. He could still continue dominating for a few more years, but the Ravens will need to consider bringing in his future replacement soon.
During the 2025 NFL season, Henry carried the football 307 times for 1,595 yards and 16 touchdowns. He averaged 5.2 yards per carry.
Keeping that in mind, Baltimore has been predicted to make a move at the running back position that would put Henry’s future in question.
Ravens Could Make Move for Derrick Henry’s Future Replacement
ESPN’s Jordan Reid has released a way-too-early 2027 NFL mock draft. He has the Ravens going with a running back in the first round.
At this point in time, Reid has Baltimore holding the No. 29 overall pick. With that selection, he predicted the Ravens to take Missouri running back Ahmad Hardy.
“Derrick Henry has been an extremely productive and durable running back, but he’ll be 33 years old in January. This would be a great spot for the Ravens to bring in his heir apparent, and the 5-foot-10, 206-pound Hardy was one of the FBS’ best running backs last season,” Reid wrote.
“He finished with 1,649 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns but was especially devastating after contact, with his 1,208 such yards ranking first in the FBS. He’s a no-nonsense, powerful downhill runner who can run through or around defenses. Kind of sounds like Henry, no?”
Simply drafting Hardy would not mean that Henry would leave Baltimore. However, it would put pressure on him to not slip from a production standpoint.
Ahmad Hardy Would Bring Superstar Potential to Ravens
Hardy has played in two college football seasons thus far. His first year came with the UL Monroe Warhawks and he played last season with Missouri.
In his freshman season at UL Monroe, Hardy racked up 1,351 yards and 13 touchdowns on 237 carries, averaging 5.7 yards per carry. He upped those numbers as a sophmore.
Last year, he carried the football 256 times for 1,649 yards and 16 touchdowns.
If the Ravens are going to replace Henry, they need to find a home run option. Hardy would be that kind of option.
Obviously, the 2027 NFL truly cannot be predicted this early. No one knows where Baltimore will be picking or what kind of 2026 season Hardy will have. However, he’ll be an interesting name to keep an eye on as a possible option post-Henry.
Ravens Could Make Move That Puts Derrick Henry’s Future in Question