Derrick Henry's Ranking Among Top NFL Running Backs Revealed

Derrick Henry's Ranking Among Top NFL Running Backs Revealed originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

Alabama Crimson Tide Heisman (2015) winner Derrick Henry is one of the elite running backs in the game. 

Not only was he Alabama's second-ever running back to win the Heisman, but his skills transferred to the next level. 

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler revealed what NFL Executives and coaches thought about Henry on Monday. Henry came in at No. 2 at his position behind Philadelphia Eagles star Saquon Barkley. 

The 31-year-old just completed his first season with the Baltimore Ravens. He ran for 1,921 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns. His rushing yards numbers were the highest of his career since the 2020 season, when he had 2,027. 

"He'll slow down at some point, but he's got elite body composition and elite work ethic," an AFC executive said. "He's a monster. No one wants to tackle him, and then when he wears you down, that's when he breaks off that big run."

Henry was selected 45th overall in the 2016 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans. He spent eight seasons with the Titans before joining the Ravens as a free agent. 

The former Alabama star is a five-time Pro Bowler and four-time All-Pro. 

Things have changed for Henry's alma mater in recent years. For starters, Henry's former head coach, Nick Saban, is no longer with the program. 

Saban retired from coaching following the 2023 season after Alabama lost in overtime to the Michigan Wolverines 27-20 in the College Football Playoff. 

While Saban is no longer the head coach of Alabama, rumors have surfaced that he is assisting current head coach Kalen DeBoer in recruiting. The mother of five-star commit Jorden Edmonds shut down that rumor on X recently. 

DeBoer had some big shoes to fill in replacing Saban. Last season, he went 9-4 and missed the CFP. Paul Finebaum revealed if he thought another playoff miss would be enough to fire the head coach. 

He disagreed, although Finebaum did say that he thought the pressure would rise if that were the case. 

Year two for DeBoer opens against the Florida State Seminoles on August 30. Kickoff is at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC. 

Related: Paul Finebaum Reveals What a Successful Season Would Be for Alabama

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 7, 2025, where it first appeared.