Derrick Henry Ranked No. 15 in NFL Top 100 Players of 2026
Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry continues to command respect around the NFL, even as he enters the later stages of a career that is quickly becoming one of the greatest ever at his position.
Henry was revealed Wednesday as the No. 15 player on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2026 list, which is determined by a vote of NFL players. The ranking makes Henry the highest-ranked Ravens player revealed on the list so far.
The ranking comes after another dominant season in Baltimore. Henry rushed 307 times for 1,595 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2025 while averaging 5.2 yards per carry. Those numbers are even more impressive considering Henry played the season at age 31, an age when most NFL running backs have already experienced a significant decline in production.
Henry finished second in the NFL in both rushing yards and rushing touchdowns while ranking third in yards per carry. He also led the league with 17 runs of at least 20 yards and produced four runs of at least 40 yards.
That performance was enough for Henry’s peers to place him among the 15 best players in football entering the 2026 season.
Henry remains one of the NFL’s elite running backs
Henry dropped eight spots from his No. 7 ranking on the 2025 NFL Top 100, but remaining inside the top 15 at 32 years old is another indication of how highly players around the league still regard him.
The Ravens star also finished ahead of several prominent AFC running backs on this year’s list. Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor landed at No. 17, while Buffalo Bills running back James Cook was ranked No. 20 and Miami Dolphins running back De’Von Achane checked in at No. 26.
Henry’s production has remained remarkably consistent despite the enormous workload he has accumulated throughout his career.
The 6-foot-3, 252-pound back has carried the football more than 2,600 times over 10 NFL seasons and enters 2026 preparing for his 11th year in the league.
Instead of slowing down, Henry has continued producing explosive plays.
That was especially apparent late in the 2025 season. Henry erupted for 216 rushing yards and four touchdowns against the Green Bay Packers in Week 17, earning AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors.
Henry has transformed Baltimore’s rushing attack
When the Ravens signed Henry before the 2024 season, the pairing of Henry and quarterback Lamar Jackson immediately looked like one of the most dangerous rushing combinations in NFL history.
Two seasons later, that combination remains the foundation of Baltimore’s offense.
Henry’s presence forces defenses to account for one of the most powerful downhill runners the league has seen while simultaneously worrying about Jackson’s ability to keep the football and attack the perimeter.
Even during a difficult 2025 season for Baltimore as a team, Henry remained extremely productive.
The Ravens finished with 2,662 rushing yards, averaging 5.2 yards per rushing attempt. Henry accounted for nearly 60 percent of Baltimore’s rushing yardage while scoring 16 of the team’s 23 rushing touchdowns.
It is hard to imagine the Ravens’ offense without him.
Another piece of Henry’s Hall of Fame résumé
At this point, Henry is no longer simply building a strong career.
He is climbing historically.
The longtime Tennessee Titans star has already established himself among the greatest power backs in NFL history, and his two seasons in Baltimore have strengthened an already impressive Hall of Fame résumé.
Henry enters the 2026 season ranked among the NFL’s top 10 all-time rushing leaders, and the Ravens have noted that he is currently 5,337 rushing yards behind Emmitt Smith’s all-time record.
Passing Smith would require extraordinary longevity, but Henry has already pushed well beyond the normal expectations for a running back his age.
He remains under contract with Baltimore through the 2027 season.
That potentially gives Henry two more seasons after 2026 to continue climbing the record books.
Ravens well represented on Top 100 list
Henry is also the latest Raven to appear in this year’s NFL Top 100 rankings.
Wide receiver Zay Flowers was ranked No. 71, quarterback Lamar Jackson came in at No. 69, linebacker Roquan Smith landed at No. 65, and safety Kyle Hamilton was ranked No. 63.
Some of those placements have generated plenty of debate, particularly Jackson’s dramatic drop after being ranked near the top of the league in previous seasons.
Henry’s ranking is considerably harder to argue with.
The NFL continues moving toward spread offenses, explosive passing games and younger running backs working in committees. Henry remains something different.
Defenses know Baltimore wants to give him the football.
They know what is coming.
And they still have trouble stopping him.
MSB Take
Derrick Henry being ranked No. 15 is another reminder of just how special his career has become.
Running backs are not supposed to produce 1,595-yard seasons at 31 years old. They are not supposed to average 5.2 yards per carry after more than 2,500 career rushing attempts.
Henry keeps doing things running backs his age are not supposed to do.
There will naturally be questions about when the decline finally comes. At some point, Father Time catches everybody. But until Henry actually shows significant signs of slowing down, there is little reason to assume 2026 will suddenly be the year everything changes.
Baltimore still has one of the most intimidating runners in football.
And according to the players who have to tackle him, Derrick Henry remains one of the 15 best players in the entire NFL.
