OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Thursday brought the steamiest, soupiest, hottest day of Ravens training camp so far. Temperatures were in the in the mid-90’s and feeling even hotter. The team went through special teams and some of their individual work indoors before heading outside for the remainder of practice, which lasted about two hours. Head coach John Harbaugh cut the session about 20 minutes short.
One of the guys battling through the elements was Justice Hill. The backup running back is the only regular holdover from the last season’s running back room. With J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards moving west to the Chargers, Hill will be relied upon to carry the load behind new lead back Derrick Henry.
Entering his sixth season Hill is coming off his best. In 2023 he had 84 carries for 387 yards and three of his five career rushing touchdowns. He added 28 catches for 206 yards and a TD.
Now his role has never been bigger.
"From running to blocking to receiving, I’ve been working on all of those things tirelessly," he said. "So, it’s fun to see how the progression goes each year, how I feel more confident just because I’ve been putting in that work and the more work you put in the more confident you get."
"The evolution of Justice as a player is that this guy has become a starting back in the National Football League. If you watch him play – look at the [AFC] Championship game. He is a high caliber running back," said Harbaugh. "So, to have him along Derrick [Henry], along with the young guys, it’s really great. He’s going to give us a little different style than Derrick Henry. I see him as a starter. I think he’s going to play a lot and kind of do it his way."
In other camp news from Thursday, Rashod Bateman (soft tissue injury) practiced fully for the first time this week. Guard Ben Cleveland left the field early. He is being evaluated for a head injury.
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