The Baltimore Ravens running back depth chart got thinner when JK Dobbins suffered a season-ending Achilles injury. But while Gus Edwards and Justice Hill have held the fort, they may have found another asset in Keaton Mitchell.
He was an undrafted rookie coming out of East Carolina. While he was also drafted in the USFL, he wanted to carve his career in the NFL. Mitchell got that opportunity when the Ravens signed him last May, prompting Pro Football Focus to name him one of the ten best undrafted free agent signings this year.
However, he suffered a slight setback after being included in the Ravens’ 53-man active roster last August. He was placed on injured reserve two days later, delaying his NFL debut. He finally played in Week 6 against the Tennessee Titans, mostly on special teams.
Mitchell also had a nine-yard catch in Week 7 versus the Detroit Lions. Two weeks later, he puts himself on the map by tallying nine carries for 138 yards and a touchdown against the Seattle Seahawks. This performance made him the FedEx Ground Player of the Week.
A week later, he had 66 total yards and a touchdown in their loss to the Cleveland Browns. That’s an impressive two-game stretch for Mitchell, considering he’s only had 14 touches.
Broncos head coach John Harbaugh declared that they will involve him more on offense when they face the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 11’s Thursday Night Football. That’s a good situation for Keaton Mitchell because the Bengals are third-worst in run defense, allowing 136.2 yards per game. They also allow 18.8 fantasy points per game, ranked 15th through Week 10.
But unseating Edwards as starting running back might be a stretch because of his six touchdowns in the last three games. He had three against the Arizona Cardinals, two against the Seahawks, and one against the Browns.
-Lance Fernandez