Baltimore Ravens Take RB in Round 2 of NFL Draft, So Where’s Justice Hill Fit?

Thursday night I watched every second of the first round of the NFL Draft.

Friday night, same deal.

I studied every pick, shamelessly tracked where each went to school, which conference they hailed from, how they fit in the NFL (and more importantly, how it impacts my fantasy outlook in 2020). I’m a nerd, OK? The PFB fantasy league is not something to take lightly!

As I did all this, one pick stood out in particular to me Friday that could wind up being bad news for former OSU tailback Justice Hill: pick No. 55. That’s the draft slot where former Ohio State running back J.K. Dobbins was plucked by the Baltimore Ravens, where Hill, a rookie last year, was seemingly working his way up the depth chart at.

Now Dobbins enters the picture and muddies up the waters.

Will it impact Hill? Or Mark Ingram? Or Gus Edwards? All of the above?

My takeaway is that this is mostly a pick that will serve as Ingram’s replacement — the eventual thunder to Justice’s lightning long-term. Ingram is under contract for the next two seasons, but he turns 31 years old later this year. The clock is ticking for him.

Meanwhile, Justice is just 22, Edwards is 25, Dobbins is 21. The timeline for the Ravens to win now under Lamar Jackson is right now and most closely aligns with the young guns in that backfield.

If you’re an optimist, there’s more good news. Baltimore loves to run the ball. Last season they set the NFL single 16-game-season team rushing record with 3,296 yards, breaking a record that had stood for 41 years (!). As a team, they rushed it 596 times (!). Unlike the new-age offenses of the NFL where passing dominates the game plan, it’s rushing where Baltimore butters its bread.

So fret not. Justice Hill will be a factor next season. As Ingram ages, his work load will decrease. And Dobbins will get plenty of looks, too. But the dynamic pass-catching Justice brings to the table and the change-of-pace speed he gives that offense is an irreplaceable asset that will guarantee he gets looks in 2020 and beyond.