John Harbaugh says RB Keaton Mitchell will be on ‘a whole other level’ this year

The speedy RB will be another year removed from injury

Undrafted running back Keaton Mitchell looked like the next big thing for the Baltimore Ravens’ offense when he exploded onto the scene as a rookie during the 2023 season. After an unfortunate knee injury cut Mitchell’s electric debut season short, the Ravens added star running back Derrick Henry to take over the backfield. Henry did not disappoint, finishing with the second-most rushing yards in the league in 2024. Meanwhile, Mitchell did not return to action until Week 10, appearing in only five games for the rest of the season while rushing for 30 yards on 15 carries.

Further removed from his injury, Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh believes Mitchell will return even stronger this season.

“That was a really tough injury,” Harbaugh said. “So, the fact that he got back when he did was, to me, almost miraculous that he was out there playing at all. I’m almost certain, as much as you can be sure, he’s going to be [on] a whole other level coming back in the spring and then again into training camp, because he is going to be a year and a half out of that deal.”

With Henry and Justice Hill ahead of him in the pecking order, it will be tough for Mitchell to find consistent snaps. The Ravens may also add another running back via the draft with one of their 11 picks. If Mitchell can return to the homerun-hitting form he displayed as a rookie, then offensive coordinator Todd Monken will be forced to find ways to incorporate him in the weekly game plan.