Baltimore Ravens Do Not Need a 1st Round Running Back

Over the off-season, when NFL Draft speculation was already underway, many believed Baltimore Ravens needed high value help at the running back position. At the time, that seemed to be true. Although, five weeks into the NFL season, it is clear that Baltimore does not struggle running the ball. In fact, they are averaging 157 yards per game, which is 74 more yards per game than the 2013 average of 83 yards.

Unfortunately, it seems as if too many draft analysts have not watched the Ravens successfully run the ball throughout 2014, and still assume that Baltimore needs to go after a running back in the first round. Most commonly, the player mocked to Baltimore (typically in the 18-24 range, in regards to draft position) is either Todd Gurley of Georgia or Melvin Gordon of Wisconsin. For multiple reasons, these would be unnecessary selections and exposes lackadaisical analysis of the team.

In case you have not watched Baltimore this season, as it seems many have not, Justin Forsett and Lorenzo Taliefero have made for an efficient duo behind a much improved offensive line. Forsett is the ideal one-cut running back with stellar vision that Gary Kubiak wanted, and Taliefero is the “enforcer” type to compliment him. Many teams have gone with this style of running by committee, none better than Cincinnati with Giovani Bernard and Jeremy Hill. The system has proven to be effective and Baltimore has made it a priority to follow the trend.

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Now, are Baltimore’s running backs top notch? No. Although, ‘Zo is young, and he may become even better than he already is, so it is too early to consider replacing him. That being said, could the Ravens upgrade over Forsett? Certainly, but there is a fine line between needing to upgrade the position and poorly using draft value. First round running backs are poorly using first round draft value.

Gurley is a talented running back, but the justification for him being mocked to Baltimore is often that “he is a great fit and is exactly the type of back Baltimore loves and needs.” If this was 2004, that statement would be true. In 2014, with John Harbaugh at the helm and Kubiak running the offense, that statement is wrong. Many people believe Gurley is a fit because he is somewhat reminiscent of Baltimore best running back in team history, Jamal Lewis, but he does not fit the current scheme. Even then, Lewis was a strictly a power back, whereas Gurley has much better top speed. That said, Gurley is primarily a downhill runner that thrives on north/south brutality, as opposed to laterally being able to beat defenders. His vision is average, at best. Of course, he is stunning if given enough room to work with, but he is not a “perfect” fit for a one-cut zone blocking scheme like Kubiak runs.

Aside from Gurley not being the ideal fit people think he is, the Ravens just drafted Lorenzo Taliefero, whom the staff seems to like already, and for good reason. Taliefero plays the downhill role that Gurley theoretically would and, though Gurley is obviously the better talent, executes quite well. He attacks the hole, lowers his shoulders, and gets the 3-5 yards that he was intended to. If Baltimore drafted Gurley, this would be his role. Now, is it fair to say Gurley would be better than Taliefero? Of course it would be, but better enough for him to be a 1st round pick, especially when his skill set does not quite allow him to be an ideal fit? As talented as he is, no.

Gordon would be a better fit because of his lateral ability and impressive vision, but running backs being taken in the first round in general is a questionable move. If a team is incredibly talented and has the luxury to spend a late 1st round pick on an uber talented running back (Denver Broncos?), then it is fair, but for a team like Baltimore who can not afford such luxury, it would not be the best decision. There are a plethora of very recent examples of teams finding productive running backs in round 2-7 of the draft, as well as UDFAs.

To clarify, the point is not that, by definition, Gurley and Gordon are not first round talents. They are. The problem is that the position can more easily be found in later rounds than other positions, and Baltimore needs to spend their first round pick elsewhere, most likely cornerback. If Baltimore were to pick either player, it would be tough to be “mad” about the choice because of how talented they are, but it would be far from the most logical selection.

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