Ravens Predicted to Replace Derrick Henry With 24-TD Ole Miss Star

“Eventually, Derrick Henry is going to wear down and no longer dominate,” Sobleski wrote on September 7. “That time may still be a few years from now, but the Baltimore Ravens can take some pressure off the 32-year-old ball-carrier to maximize his final years, while setting up a seamless transition at running back. Ole Miss’ Kewan Lacy lacks Henry’s size. However, the prospect definitely brings big-play ability. Lacy is a talented runner with short-area quickness to make defenders miss in the open field. He’s also a long-strider, who slashes and cuts through opposing defenses. The 20-year-old prospect is a three-down running back with plus-marks in pass protection and receiving ability.”

Polar Opposite of Henry in Terms of Size

Were Lacy to end up in Baltimore, Ravens fans would no doubt be struck by the difference in appearance from Henry the 1st time they saw him lined up in the backfield — Lacy has been listed between 5-foot-9 and 5-foot-11 and between 195 pounds and 205 pounds.

While his actual height and weight won’t likely be cleared up until the NFL Scouting Combine, 1 thing Lacy and Henry have in common is the ability to put up big numbers.

Lacy spent his 1st college season at Missouri in 2024 and only played in 6 games, but blossomed as a transfer to Ole Miss in 2025, where he earned All-SEC and All-American honors with 306 carries for 1,567 yards and 24 touchdowns. He also had 29 receptions for 177 yards.

Ravens Called ‘Foolish’ for Relying on Derrick Henry

Not everyone thinks the Ravens should have waited so long to bring in another elite running back.

Sports Illustrated’s Jason La Canfora called out the Ravens for investing so much in Henry, 32, who might be at the age where even the very best of the best NFL running backs suffer a dramatic dropoff in production.

“While age 30 is the year that is generally considered when football players — especially high-touch running backs — get old and fade, in reality it’s age 32 that’s spelled the end of virtually every productive running back in the history of the sport since the 1970 merger between the NFL and AFL,” La Canfora wrote. “You can find plenty of age 30 and age 31 seasons where running backs held up and remained effective and, in many cases, were still quite brilliant. Then all but a couple that stuck around for another shot took a considerable tumble … expecting Henry to continue operating at 300-plus touches and a ridiculous 5.6/carry (his regular-season average as a Raven) seems foolish.”