Baltimore Ravens v Green Bay Packers - NFL 2025
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GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN - DECEMBER 27: Derrick Henry #22 of the Baltimore Ravens celebrates after beating the Green Bay Packers 41-24 at Lambeau Field on December 27, 2025 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
The Baltimore Ravens have one of the top running backs in the NFL in Derrick Henry, but they’ll eventually have to find his successor.
Entering the 2026 season, Henry remains one of the elite backs of the NFL with little signs of slowing down. The 6-foot-3 running back is coming off of a 1,595-yard, 16-touchdown season, rushing for 5.2 yards per carry in the process. His number of rushing touchdowns is the second-highest of his career, while his rushing yards and yards per carry are the third-highest.
With that being said, Henry is 32 years old and will be 33 years old if the Ravens make a postseason run next season. That is old for a running back, which means the Ravens need to start thinking about a succession plan. For perspective, Henry is the oldest starting running back in the NFL and the second-oldest running back in the league after only Ameer Abdullah, who has started just four games since the start of the 2018 season.
As Athlon Sports’ Luke Easterling predicts, he expects the Ravens to select Henry’s eventual successor in next year’s draft in Missouri’s Ahmad Hardy. Easterling projects Baltimore to pick Hardy with the 29th overall pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.
“This obviously hinges on Hardy making a full recovery from a gunshot wound he suffered earlier this year,” said Easterling. “On the field, Hardy is an explosive playmaker who put up huge numbers for the Tigers last season (1,649 yards rushing, 16 rushing TDs), and he’s got the skills to be a full-time featured back at the next level. Derrick Henry continues to prove his unicorn status with unreal production well into his 30s, but Baltimore will eventually need a succession plan to keep the offense balanced.”
Ahmad Hardy Could Be Top Running Back in 2027 NFL Draft
The 20-year-old Hardy is coming off of a breakthrough season in his first year with Missouri. After spending his first year at Louisiana-Monroe, the 5-foot-10, 206-pound Hardy had immediate success in the SEC, rushing for 6.5 yards per carry. He garnered numerous accolades including being named a consensus All-American, SEC Newcomer of the Year and being named a First-Team All-SEC selection.
Hardy had a number of explosive performances during the 2025 season, with none bigger than his 300-yard, three-touchdown performance in a 49-27 win over Mississippi State. It was the third-best rushing performance in SEC history.
An anonymous SEC coach told Athlon Sports that he considers Hardy to be a top five running back over the past decade, which speaks towards his dominance last season.
“[Ahmad Hardy] is one of the top five running backs in college football in the last decade,” he said. “That kid is special.”
Derrick Henry Has No Timeline for Retiring, but Father Time Is Undefeated
Henry is under contract for two more seasons through the 2027 campaign. Drafting Hardy and allowing him to operate in a two-back system alongside the veteran back will ease things for Henry as he potentially enters his final season.
The 32-year-old back has no plans of retiring, telling yours truly in an interview back in January that he doesn’t have a timeline.
“I’m motivated more than ever,” said Henry. “I really appreciated this year and how it all went down, because it motivated me to be ready to get back next year and work as hard as I can in the offseason to be better. I don’t have a timeline. I’m just ready to go.”
However, a year can make a major difference for a running back. If Henry shows any signs of slowing down this season, you can be sure that the Ravens will be thinking of a succession plan, which means Hardy should be on their radar for next year’s draft.