Derrick Henry typically towers over the other running backs in his group, but that won't be the case this year with rookie Adam Randall added to the mix.
Randall stands in at 6-foot-3, an inch taller than Henry. There aren't many running backs that big and freakishly athletic, and now the Ravens have two of them.
What Randall lacks, however, is experience. A converted wide receiver, Randall has played running back for just one season. Now he's eager to learn from not only one of the best, but a running back who has a similar body.
"I'm just going to be a sponge and a fly on the wall in that meeting room, and I'll take everything that I can and apply it to my game," Randall said at rookie minicamp.
"With Derrick Henry having a taller stature like I am, I'm just going to continue to learn how to work on my pad level and shorten up my strides, just to continue to be a better running back."
Randall moved from wide receiver to running back during his final season at Clemson, in part, out of necessity. The team had some talented freshmen at the position, but Head Coach Dabo Swinney wanted a veteran in the room.
Randall hadn't become a standout wide receiver, so it was also his chance to audition in a new role. He ran with it, rushing for 814 yards (4.8 per carry) and 10 touchdowns. His pass-catching skills transferred, as he hauled in 36 passes for 254 yards and three more scores.
"When I commit somewhere, that's where I call home. I didn't want to ever leave [Clemson], and I gave it my all, and I did everything that I could to make it work there," Randall said.
"And that's why I moved positions. That's why I switched from wide receiver to running back. It helped me in my career, and it helped the team last year. So, I think it was a win-win [situation] for both of us."
At the 2016 NFL Combine, Henry ran the 40-yard dash in 4.54 seconds at 247 pounds – eye-popping numbers. Randall ran it in 4.5 seconds at 232 pounds. Two monsters who can run like that in the Ravens backfield is going to be fun to watch.
With Henry and another strong pass catcher in Justice Hill leading the way, it remains to be seen how the Ravens will find offensive snaps for Randall. The rookie will also be competing with Rasheen Ali, including at kickoff returner.
There's no doubt that Randall has support from those in the building. Owner Steve Bisciotti was the person who picked and called Randall, which the rookie called "pretty incredible" and "definitely a shock." But Bisciotti wasn't on an island with the pick.
"What I told [Randall] is we all really liked him as a player. We all really wanted him," Head Coach Jesse Minter said.
"Steve did a great job, but he's a guy that was kind of right there on the board at that time when we picked him. He's a really good player. I'm excited to see what he brings to the table. He has extreme versatility, I would say, on the offensive side and in special teams. And so, you love having guys like that, and kind of see if they can find themselves a niche in this league."
