J.K. Dobbins injury: Why the Ravens would be in good hands with Gus Edwards
The Baltimore Ravens are awaiting injury news on running back J.K. Dobbins, who suffered a nasty looking knee injury in the team’s 37-3 preseason win over the Washington Football Team. The second-year player was hit low after catching a screen pass, immediatly grabbing for his knee once he went down.
If Dobbins misses any time on the field, it’s a big blow to Baltimore’s offense. Many are expecting him to break out in 2021, and a player of Dobbins’ caliber makes the Ravens’ a better team. However, not all is lost even if the former Ohio State University star is sidelined. In fact, they are in rather good hands with fellow running back Gus Edwards.
Although the team would miss Dobbins and his balance, agility, cut back ability and power, Edwards is a well-rounded runner who has improved in each of his first three seasons at the NFL level. Widely regarded as a pure north-south runner out of the Rutgers University, he has added a plethora of different things to his skill set, including cut back ability, improved vision, receiving skills and much more.
Edwards is also a beacon of consistency, never averaging below five yards per carry in each of his first three seasons as a professional. He almost never loses yardage, and is as reliable as they come in short yardage situations. He is also now versatile enough to pick up some of what Dobbins would leave if he is forced to miss time with an injury.
Aside from Edwards, Baltimore also has breakout running back Ty’Son Williams waiting in the wings, as well as Nate McCrary and even Justice Hill. The Ravens have had an extremely deep running back room for years, and although their depth would be tested without Dobbins, Edwards and company is a great backup plan to have, especially considering Edwards is expected to have a major role in Baltimore’s offense regardless of if Dobbins is out for an extended period or not.
