The Ravens’ league-leading rushing attack seems like it could not get any better, but Baltimore has some additional backfield help on the way with Keaton Mitchell expected to open his 21-day practice window this week, per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic.
Mitchell suffered a torn ACL in his left knee last December, ending his 2023 season and landing him on the Physically Unable to Perform list to begin this year. Before his injury, he broke out as an electrifying undrafted rookie running back with 8.4 yards per carry across eight games and 47 rushing attempts.
Mitchell was a consistent presence on the sidelines during Ravens training camp while he was in the early stages of his rehab, and more recently participated in a workout on a side field during practice. Now, he’ll be able to ramp up his participation and gradually integrate into the Ravens backfield rotation.
Baltimore has an ideal situation for Mitchell’s recovery, with Derrick Henry firmly established as the lead back and Justice Hill filling third-down duties. Mitchell will not need to assume a major role in the offense and can work as a change-of-pace back as he ramps back up to full strength. The Ravens will want to avoid any setbacks like they faced with J.K. Dobbins in 2022 after he recovered from an torn ACL the year before. Dobbins required an additional clean-up surgery during the 2022 season and did not regain his breakaway speed until the following year.
If Mitchell is able to bring even a fraction of his 2023 explosiveness to the Ravens this season, their run game could hit another level, even though its 6.2 yards per attempt and 210.9 yards per game already lead the NFL by significant margins.