Ravens' Derrick Henry Hypes Lamar Jackson as NFL's Best Player Ahead of 2025 Season

It's easy to appreciate Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson from afar. Derrick Henry's admiration of the two-time MVP only grew after getting a firsthand glimpse.

"It was electric," the veteran running back told The Athletic's Michael Silver of his first year in Baltimore. "He's the best player in the league, and it shows every single game day. He works hard, he's the leader of this team, and it was fun. It's just a great culture around here, and you see why they have the slogan, 'Play like a Raven.' It's just a brotherhood — hard work and physical play that's relentless and disciplined."

Henry said his partnership with Jackson was "maybe even better" than his initial expectations.

The five-time Pro Bowler had one of his best seasons, running for 1,921 yards and 16 touchdowns. His 5.9 yards per carry were a career high.

The threat Jackson poses as a runner helped to open up lanes for Henry. Using him as a decoy can freeze opposing defenses for a split-second, and that makes a big difference for a ball-carrier with Henry's vision.

Beyond that, Jackson has refined his passing skills under offensive coordinator Todd Monken. His 4,172 passing yards and 41 touchdowns in 2024 were his most ever, and he led the NFL in QBR (77.3) for the second time, per ESPN.com.

It has become more and more difficult to identify a flaw in the signal-caller's game.

Player rankings are subjective, and there's never universal agreement over who is the best player is in a given season. In the case of Jackson, some may hesitate to give him that status until the Ravens lift a title.

Purely in terms of talent and production, the 28-year-old at least merits consideration.