Baltimore Ravens rookie running back Adam Randall broke down the huge benefit of switching from a wide receiver to a running back, and how it has benefited his career.
The Baltimore Ravens have experienced a lot of firsts for the organization. After trading away a first-round pick for the first time in organization history for Maxx Crosby (which was rescinded), the team then saw owner Steve Bisciotti make his first-ever draft pick.
Bisciotti took to the phones, calling up Clemson running back Adam Randall. Randall was taken in the fifth round, and a huge reason for being drafted is how he seamlessly moved from being a wide receiver to a running back, which has a ton of upside for this Ravens team.
Randall went from securing 577 receiving yards and two touchdowns in his first three seasons as a wide receiver, to exploding in 2025 with 1,068 yards from scrimmage and 13 touchdowns, which includes 814 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns.
Though it may have seemed odd to make that switch, Randall spoke about being a team-first player and doing what he needed to for the team and Coach Dabo Swinney to Ryan Ripken.
"It just was a roller coaster of emotions after that ACC championship in 2024. Um, you know, Coach Sweeney asked me to switch positions. I really had never thought about playing running back, but then like after the conversation, I'm not really the I'm never really the type of guy to hear something and, you know, just immediately get upset. My parents say I just do a good job of, you know, like sitting down and actually evaluating what people say and sometimes that gets me in trouble and sometimes it helps me," Randall said.
Though Ripken indicated that Randall being told to switch positions by Coach Swinney, the Ravens rookie indicated that he sat down to evaluate what he was being told instead of immediately getting upset over it.
Though there may have been an initial shock for Randall, he realized that his greatest strength would be more valuable as a running back, which is the run after the catch.
"I think that after I really evaluated what coach Swinny said about me switching to running back, like what I did best, and that's run after the catch, especially in high school and when I was in college. So I thought that you know me getting the ball out of the back field, and you know, like you say, with my frame and my size, and you know my speed and my ability, I knew that I could make the transition, and I knew that I had graduated in three years, so all my classes were going to be online this year. So I just really immersed myself into the position," Randall said.
What makes Randall's comments on his transition far more interesting is how he sees himself as a strong run-after-the-catch type of running back, which helped him be an immediate dual-threat with catching balls out of the backfield.
This is hugely beneficial for the Ravens, as the team had Keaton Mitchell for that reason. Now, that can be Randall.
Derrick Henry can maintain his power rushing three-down back status, while Randall can be used as a pass catcher out of the backfield in a major way.
At 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds, Randall also has the size that might make him a nightmare to tackle, allowing the offense to set up even more tricky looks for the rushing attack.
Nobody knows how well Randall will fit into the Ravens' system just yet, and it can often take rookies a bit of time to adjust. However, if the Clemson prospect can continue his dominance from his senior season into his first year in the NFL, he could become a huge weapon for the rushing attack and Lamar Jackson.