7. Derrick Henry– In a pass happy league, it’s always a nice reminder to see the running game is still something that teams will lean on. We may not see much of it, but when we do, it’s always a joy to watch. Who I’m about to talk about was the talk of the league as the playoffs started. He was an animal in college while playing for Alabama and he’s finally found his swagger in the NFL. Derrick Henry is here! He’s the first guy making his debut on my annual list. The bruising running back checks in at number seven and my second-ranked running back entering the 2020 season.
The running backs that come into the league are usually smaller and have speed. He’s a big back with tremendous speed. What I enjoy about his game is how he’s always wanting to power himself downhill. This is a bruiser playing the position. I hope any defender trying to bring him down has a good doctor because you’ll have a few bruises trying to make a tackle. Derrick has good vision with a shiftiness you don’t see from many power backs. It’s safe to say he “plays small”. He will shift away from you, but further in the open field, he’s the one running back in today’s NFL that relies on the stiff arm. He’ll punish a guy, then turn to his track speed to finish.
Derrick is the size of a linebacker playing offense. He stands at 6’3 and weighs 247 pounds. In five of the Tennessee Titans’ last six games, he rushed for over 100 yards including a 211 yard effort against the Houston Texans that pushed the Titans into the playoffs. In the Wild Card round against the Patriots, he ran all over a New England defense that was stout in most categories. 34 carries and 182 yards to be exact in an upset win in Foxborough. The following week, the Titans faced the top-seeded Baltimore Ravens. Different opponent, same results for Derrick and the Titans. In this game, he ran for 195 yards and helped Tennessee upset the heavily-favored Ravens. Finally, he’s looking like the guy we’ve expected.
