Honestly, it’s wild to think about now. If you look at the landscape of the NFL today, Derrick Henry is basically a living legend, a mountain of a man who makes professional linebackers look like middle schoolers. But there was a time when NFL front offices weren't quite sure if he’d even work.
So, let's get the big question out of the way immediately. What year was Derrick Henry drafted?
He was drafted in 2016.
But the "when" is only half the story. The real "why" behind his draft position is where things get interesting. You see, the Tennessee Titans grabbed him with the 45th overall pick in the second round. Yeah, you read that right. Forty-four players were considered "better" prospects than a guy who would go on to rush for 2,000 yards in a single season.
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The 2016 Draft: A Massive Miss for Most Teams
It was April 29, 2016, at the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago. The atmosphere was electric, but the narrative around running backs was shifting. People were starting to say you shouldn't take them early.
Ezekiel Elliott went fourth overall to the Cowboys. He was the "safe" blue-chip prospect. Meanwhile, Henry, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner out of Alabama, was sitting there waiting. He had just come off a season where he carried the ball 395 times for 2,219 yards. That’s a lot of mileage.
Scouts were worried. They called him a "battering ram." They said his feet were too slow behind the line of scrimmage. There was this weird consensus that he was just a "product of the system" at Alabama.
The Titans finally pulled the trigger in the middle of the second round. It was a bit of a head-scratcher at the time because Tennessee had just traded for DeMarco Murray. They didn't need a starter. They wanted a hammer.
Why Teams Passed on King Henry
Looking back, the reasons teams gave for passing on him seem almost comical. One NFC running back coach famously told reporters that Henry was just a "banger" and that those guys don't go in the first round.
- Longevity Concerns: People thought he’d be washed after four years because of how many hits he took in the SEC.
- Upright Running Style: At 6'3", he was "too tall." Scouts feared he’d be an easy target for NFL defenders.
- Lack of Versatility: He wasn't known as a pass-catcher. In 2015, he only had 11 receptions.
It’s funny how "too tall" and "too powerful" turned into "unstoppable" and "Hall of Fame trajectory."
Life as a Backup: 2016 to 2018
Most people forget that Henry wasn't an instant superstar. He had to wait.
During his first two seasons, he was mostly a backup to DeMarco Murray. He was "El Tractorcito" in flashes, but he wasn't the focal point. He only had 490 yards as a rookie. In 2017, he bumped that up to 744. Good, but not "King" status.
The real shift happened late in 2018. If you were playing fantasy football that year, you remember the Jacksonville game. The 99-yard touchdown run. That was the moment the NFL realized that the 2016 draft's 45th pick was actually a glitch in the matrix.
The Statistical Explosion
Once he became the featured back, the numbers became legendary. We’re talking about a guy who led the league in rushing yards and touchdowns in both 2019 and 2020. In 2020, he hit that magical 2,027-yard mark.
He has now spent nearly a decade in the league, recently moving to the Baltimore Ravens for the 2024 and 2025 seasons. Even at 32, he’s still putting up numbers that would make a 22-year-old jealous. As of early 2026, he’s sitting on over 13,000 career rushing yards and 122 rushing touchdowns. He’s fourth all-time in rushing scores. Adrian Peterson? Passed him. Tony Dorsett? Passed him.
What This Means for You
If you're a student of the game or just a casual fan, there are a few things to take away from the Derrick Henry saga.
First, draft position isn't destiny. Being the second running back taken in 2016 didn't stop him from becoming the best of his generation. Second, traits like "power" and "stiff-arms" are often undervalued by scouts who get obsessed with "lateral quickness" and "receiving upside."
Actionable Insights for Fans and Analysts:
- Look at the workload: Henry proved that a high college workload doesn't always mean a short pro career if the athlete's frame is built for it.
- Contextualize the "system": Just because a player is successful in a great college program doesn't mean they can't adapt to the pros.
- Value the outlier: Henry is a physical outlier. Sometimes, the "rules" of scouting don't apply to human beings who look like they were built in a laboratory.
Derrick Henry didn't just join the NFL in 2016; he eventually took it over. Whether he’s wearing Titans blue or Ravens purple, the league is still trying to figure out how to stop a guy they let slide to the 45th pick.