The Baltimore Ravens have one of the best one-two punches at running back in Derrick Henry and Justice Hill.
They may be adding a third some time this season.
Keaton Mitchell burst onto the scene last season, running for 396 yards and two touchdowns on just 47 carries, good for an incredible 8.4 yards per carry. His speed was a boost to the Ravens offense and he showed glimpses of being a dynamic playmaker. However, Mitchell's rookie season ended after just eight games when he tore his ACL in Week 15.
Mitchell has been on the PUP list and remains there. The Athletic's Jeff Zrebiec reports that the "best-case scenario" is that Mitchell returns for the second half of the season, which is only four weeks away.
Zrebeic warned, however, that the Ravens will take Mitchell's return slowly and patiently and likely utilize the three-week practice window to get Mitchell up to speed.
While Zrebiec reported that Mitchell is ahead of schedule in his rehab, it's not guaranteed that he'll return this season.
However, if Mitchell can return, perhaps in December, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh previously said having to manage time between Henry, Hill, and Mitchell a "good problem to have."
The Ravens have leaned heavily on Henry the last two weeks, and he has delivered. He may be a big factor in Week 5, when the Ravens take on a Cincinnati Bengals team that has struggled to stop the run.
However, just weeks after Harbaugh said the Ravens didn't plan on giving Henry the ball 30 times a game, Henry has logged 49 combined carries over the last two weeks. While has shined with those carries, it's nonetheless a heavy workload for a bruising, 30-year-old back with tons of carries under his belt.
The Ravens could ease the load on Henry by giving Hill more touches. Hill has been highly efficient with limited touches and is coming off his best performance of the season.
Of course, the Ravens will also utilize Lamar Jackson more often. Because of the dominance in the run game, Jackson has only thrown 33 combined passes over the last two weeks. That will eventually change.
This is where Mitchell's potential return could be a boon for the Ravens. Not only would it add fresh legs to their backfield, giving a burst of speed late in the year, it could ease the burden on Henry, potentially allowing him to be fresher for the postseason.
More Ravens news:
Baltimore Ravens biggest winners and losers after first four games
Surprising Ravens defender named to 'First Quarter All-Pro' defensive team
Baltimore Ravens named potential trade destination for Davante Adams
