Baltimore Ravens should lean heavily on J.K. Dobbins going forward

It is time for the Baltimore Ravens to lean on the rookie as their featured back.

The Baltimore Ravens have built an impressive offensive attack around star quarterback Lamar Jackson. Baltimore has done a fantastic job of creating an offense around Jackson’s strengths as a runner, which had lead to a run-heavy offensive attack that can pick up chunk yardage on the ground.

The Ravens have the fifth-most rushing attempts in the entire NFL, and their 5.5 yards per carry average is the best in the league. Jackson’s ability to create with the ball in his hands is obviously a major part of their success on the ground, but the Baltimore Ravens also have an impressive group of running backs who deserve some credit.

The Ravens have had a fairly even spilt of running back snaps between Mark Ingram, Gus Edwards and rookie J.K. Dobbins this season. With Ingram out with an ankle injury on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Ravens leaned more on Dobbins and Edwards. Dobbins stepped up as the featured back in this one, seeing the field on 66% of the Ravens’ offensive snaps. He was able to consistently eat up yardage on the ground, carrying the ball 15 times for 113 yards.

It is time to lean on Dobbins as the featured back

Dobbins was great against one of the toughest defenses in the entire NFL. He was quick and decisive with the ball in his hands and did a great job of maintaining his balance through contact. Dobbins continues to show an incredible combination of quickness and power that makes him a fantastic weapon for the Ravens on the ground.

Through seven games, Dobbins has carried the ball 40 times for 267 yards, an impressive 6.7 yards per carry average. He has carried the ball fewer times than both Edwards (64) and Ingram (50), despite clearly being the most talented back on the roster.

Bringing the rookie along slowly and leaning on the veteran options early in the season makes some sense. However, Dobbins is proving himself as the premier running back on this roster.

Ingram and Edwards are good players, but Dobbins is clearly the most explosive and impactful ball carrier on the roster. It really is as simple as that. If the Baltimore Ravens want to reach their ceiling this season, they need to start featuring Dobbins in their rushing attack.