The Baltimore Ravens have a secret superstar keeping pace with, and even beating, some of the NFL’s biggest names in an exclusive ranking of elite skill players proving valuable in clutch moments. It’s a list dominated by All-Pros, Pro Bowlers, Super Bowl and award winners, but an underrated backup is representing the Ravens proudly.
Reserve running back Justice Hill ranks as high as fourth among the top 10 “leading receivers last season in yards per route run when their quarterback was blitzed (minimum 50 total targets),” per ESPN’s Ben Solak.
Hill proved more effective in this niche category than Cincinnati Bengals Pro Bowler Ja’Marr Chase, a familiar thorn in the Ravens’ sides. Baltimore’s backfield deputy also outpaced former Triple-Crown receiving champion Cooper Kupp and two All-Pros, Minnesota Vikings wideout Justin Jefferson and San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle.
If the company you keep is a true reflection of your value, then Hill is playing well above his status with the Ravens. As Solak proclaimed, “Hill ranked fourth in yards per route run on screens (behind Nacua, Alvin Kamara and James Conner). For all the ink spilled on the addition of Derrick Henry, the excellence of Lamar Jackson and the growth of Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman and Isaiah Likely, permit me these few paragraphs on Hill as the safety valve and screen savant. What a handy player.”
The numbers show Hill continues to be underrated, but hidden stats also explain why the fourth-round pick in the 2019 NFL draft is still a viable part of the league’s most-productive offense.
Justice Hill Key to ‘Secret Sauce’ for Ravens’ Offense
Solak explained how “the Ravens’ screen game in the face of blitzes was really the secret sauce — they always seemed to have the right call dialed up at the right time. Hill told me the key to being a good receiver on screens is patience, then acceleration: ‘Patience to wait for the blocks to set up, acceleration to get to the first-down marker before the defenders get there,’ he said with a smile. ‘It sounds simple in theory, but it’s a little harder in practice.’
All of those qualities were on display when Hill followed different convoys of Ravens linemen to burn the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for several big plays last season. Plays like this earned Hill the moniker “screen dynamo” from Ravens.com Editorial Director Ryan Mink.
Hill’s straightforward checklist for what makes a good receiver of screens underscores his career. Specifically, the attributes he highlights, like “patience” and sudden, deceptive quickness, explain why he continues to fly under the radar around the league, but also why the 27-year-old is a player the Ravens can never seem to do without.
Certainly, franchise quarterback Jackson would not want to be without a natural check-down option like Hill. One who also does the dirty but vital work of protecting his QB1, even though he’s giving up height and muscle to some of the game’s most fearsome pass-rushers.
One of Hill’s best blocks came against Josh Sweat and the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 13. As SleeperNFL’s Chris Cooper highlighted, Hill impacted the edge defender, despite giving up seven inches and 70 pounds.
Doing the necessary things to help his team beat pressure means Hill will keep a broad and important role in Baltimore’s offense. No matter if other backs on the depth chart are more dynamic.
Ravens Have Other RBs to Work Into Screen Game
There’s no shortage of more explosive runners than Hill at the disposal of Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken. He’s already devising a new formation to free the greater speed of younger pairing Rasheen Ali and Keaton Mitchell.
The latter’s injury status has complicated matters somewhat, but head coach John Harbaugh remains confident about Mitchell’s availability for the start of the season. That’s significant because the former East Carolina star can turn any run or short pass into a big play.
Monken won’t want to limit the sudden-strike capability of Mitchell and Ali, but he’ll need the duo to learn the finer points of the screen game from one of its best practitioners.
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