If not quite loaded, the Ravens were certainly well-stocked at running back already.
But General Manager Eric DeCosta wouldn’t have been able to live with himself if he hadn’t taken Ohio State’s J.K. Dobbins in the second round.
During an interview on Mad Dog Radio, DeCosta said it would have been “irresponsible” not to draft Dobbins, since he had a first-round grade and they were picking 55th overall.
“My philosophy is talent wins,” DeCosta said. “If you have a running back who you think can be a dynamic player for you and you are a team who loves to run the football, to me it makes too much sense.”
While Mark Ingram, Gus Edwards, and Justice Hill offered enough depth to ignore the position, DeCosta stuck to his board and made a pick which could pay dividends later.
As noted by Peter King of NBC’s Football Morning in America, Dobbins’ output at Ohio State compares more than favorably to another certain Buckeyes back, with more yards and higher yards per carry numbers than Ezekiel Elliott.
In 2015, Elliott had 289 carries for 1,821 yards (6.3 yards per carry) and 23 touchdowns, while Dobbins last year ran 301 times for 2,003 yards (6.7) and 23 touchdowns.