The Ravens are taking the right kind of swing with Adam Randall: give him the ball, keep feeding him, and let the rookie runner learn on the job.
That approach makes sense because Randall is still new to the position. He didn’t start carrying the ball until his 2025 season at Clemson, so Baltimore is dealing with a back who needs real reps before he can be expected to make noise in the NFL. So far, the staff has handed him exactly that.
In Baltimore’s preseason opener, Randall functioned as the lead back. He logged 12 carries for 46 yards and a touchdown, and he also caught one of two targets for two yards.
The numbers aren’t eye-popping, but the workload mattered more than the stat line. He got the kind of chances that can actually move the needle for a player in his stage of development.
There’s obvious upside here. Randall is listed at 6-foot-3 and 232 pounds, and he brings real speed to match the frame.
That alone makes him a problem to deal with. Add in his background as a former receiver, and the package gets even more interesting.
His hands are a strength, he showed he can block in college, and he also has some appeal as a return man. That gives him a path to contribute in more than one way.
Baltimore’s willingness to lean into that upside has been clear from the start. One week into preseason action, the Ravens have looked fully committed to finding out what Randall can become. The fact that he was Steve Bisciotti’s pick only adds to that sense of buy-in.
Rasheen Ali’s undisclosed injury helped open the door for Randall, and he took advantage by leading the running backs with 34 offensive snaps. That kind of volume is exactly what he needs right now. He needs live reps, not a handful of cameo touches.
He’s still got plenty to clean up. His pad level is too high, and there’s hesitation in his game before he commits to a gap.
Those are real issues. But they’re also the sort of things that can improve with repetition, and Baltimore just gave him a full-game sample to work with against the Eagles.
For now, it’s hard to see Randall jumping Justice Hill as Derrick Henry’s top backup this season. That feels like a long shot.
But if Randall keeps building as a runner and adds value in the kick return game, he can start climbing. At minimum, he has a chance to push past Rasheen Ali for the RB3 role.
It wasn’t a dazzling debut. Still, the Ravens are putting Randall in a spot where development is the priority, and that should pay off over time even if the regular-season payoff isn’t immediate.
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