Ravens GM Says They 'Had To' Take J.K. Dobbins After Surprising Draft Fall

Baltimore Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said Friday the team was surprised Ohio State running back J.K. Dobbins was still on the board at the 55th overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft.

"We didn't really expect [Dobbins to be available there]; I don't think anybody really did," DeCosta told reporters. "But we just had to take him. He's just a talented guy. It just made too much sense for us not to take him."

Dobbins is coming off a monster statistical career with the Buckeyes.

The 21-year-old Houston native recorded 4,459 rushing yards, 645 receiving yards and 43 total touchdowns in 42 games across three years at OSU. He racked up 2,250 yards from scrimmage and 23 scores during his junior season in 2019 before entering the draft.

"I was definitely surprised when I got the call," Dobbins told reporters. "I was waiting for a while; it was a longer wait than I expected. But I'm glad the Ravens are giving me a chance."

He added: "I'm an offensive weapon. I can do anything you want me to do—I can catch the ball, run it, I can block. I think I'll help Lamar Jackson and this offense thrive."

Running back wasn't the Ravens' biggest need. Both incumbent starter Mark Ingram II (1,018 rushing yards in 2019) and backup Gus Edwards (711) return and the organization selected Justice Hill in the fourth round of last year's draft to provide further depth.

Add in Jackson, the league's premier dual-threat quarterback and reigning MVP, and Baltimore could have moved forward just fine without another rusher. But they couldn't pass up the value.

Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman has established himself as one of the NFL's best coaches at creating run-game systems, and now he's got a boatload of talent to develop and utilize some exotic packages to take pressure off Jackson next season.

Dobbins isn't going to match the ridiculous numbers he posted at Ohio State in the short term because of the high level of competition for touches in Baltimore.

That said, he's a great fit from a scheme perspective and should make an immediate impact before taking on a larger role in the years ahead as the backfield thins out and leaves him atop the depth chart.