Titans’ Derrick Henry named most dominant RB going into 2021
2 min read#NFLBeast #NFL #NFLTwitter #NFLUpdate #NFLNews #NFLBlogs
#Tennessee #Titans #TennesseeTitans #AFC
By: Mike Moraitis
Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry has been a step above the rest of the players at his position over the past two seasons, leading to several outlets ranking him as the best rusher in the NFL this offseason.
Henry has notched back-to-back rushing crowns and totaled over 2,000 yards in 2020, becoming the eighth player in NFL history to do so. He was awarded the AP Offensive Player of the Year for his efforts.
Ahead of the 2021 campaign, Bleacher Report’s Maurice Moton dubbed Henry the most dominant running back in the NFL.
Derrick Henry isn’t the most versatile running back in the league. He’s not much of a threat in the short passing game, with fewer than 20 receptions in each of his five seasons. However, right now, he fulfills his primary duty better than any tailback.
Coming off back-to-back rushing titles, Henry is head and shoulders above the players at his position as a ball-carrier. Since 2019, he’s logged 681 rush attempts, and the club has reached the playoffs in the past two campaigns with him as the focal point of the offense.
While Henry led the league in carries in 2019 and 2020, the Titans ranked 31st and 30th in pass attempts for those seasons, respectively. Beyond the basic numbers, he’s also racked up 2,758 yards after contact in that two-year span, per Pro Football Focus.
Because of his workload and production, Henry wears the crown for most dominant running back. He tops Alvin Kamara, who’s a dynamic playmaker with at least 1,330 scrimmage yards in all four of his seasons. However, the Saints running back isn’t an unstoppable force on the ground, which best describes Henry over the last two years.
Opposing defenses are going to have an even tougher time stopping Henry in 2021, as the Titans have added wide receiver Julio Jones to a receiving corps. that already included fellow wideout, A.J. Brown.
With those two running routes, Henry might face less stacked boxes this season, which gives him a great chance to three-peat as the rushing champion, and quite possibly break the 2,000-yard mark again.
