Player
Justice Hill
RB · Ravens
Hill's first four NFL seasons looked like a typical late-round depth back — under 15 targets per year. The flip in 2023 (and surge in 2024) reframes him: he wasn't drafted to catch passes, but Baltimore now uses him as one. That changes how you scout the Ravens' personnel groupings and who shows up on passing downs.
A 6-year career where the *receiving* role only emerged in Year 5.
TrendJustice Hill career arc (regular season)
| Year | G | Car | Rush Yds | Rush TDs | Tgts | Rec | Rec Yds | Rec TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 16 | 58 | 225 | 2 | 15 | 8 | 70 | 0 |
| 2020 | 11 | 12 | 60 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 20 | 0 |
| 2022 | 15 | 49 | 262 | 0 | 12 | 12 | 58 | 0 |
| 2023 | 16 | 84 | 387 | 3 | 39 | 28 | 206 | 1 |
| 2024 | 15 | 47 | 228 | 1 | 51 | 42 | 383 | 3 |
| 2025 | 10 | 18 | 93 | 2 | 27 | 21 | 169 | 1 |
Targets per season
| Season | Targets |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 15 |
| 2020 | 5 |
| 2022 | 12 |
| 2023 | 39 |
| 2024 | 51 |
| 2025 | 27 |
For his first 3 active seasons Hill was a pure depth runner — 32 total targets across 2019–2022. Then in 2023 the role flipped: 39 targets, then a 51-target peak in 2024 for 383 receiving yards. He's now a passing-down back first, a runner second.
Why it matters. Hill's first four NFL seasons looked like a typical late-round depth back — under 15 targets per year. The flip in 2023 (and surge in 2024) reframes him: he wasn't drafted to catch passes, but Baltimore now uses him as one. That changes how you scout the Ravens' personnel groupings and who shows up on passing downs.
In 2024 he was a top-15 receiving back — more receiving yards than Walker, Pollard, or Charbonnet.
Split2024 RBs by receptions (top of 40+ rec)
| Rank | Player | Rec | Yds | Tgts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | De'Von Achane | 78 | 592 | 87 |
| 2 | Alvin Kamara | 68 | 543 | 89 |
| 3 | Bijan Robinson | 61 | 431 | 72 |
| 4 | Breece Hall | 57 | 483 | 76 |
| 10 | James Conner | 47 | 414 | 55 |
| 11 | Bucky Irving | 47 | 392 | 52 |
| 12 | Kenneth Walker III | 46 | 299 | 53 |
| 13 | Chuba Hubbard | 43 | 171 | 54 |
| 14 | Justice Hill | 42 | 383 | 51 |
| 16 | Zach Charbonnet | 42 | 340 | 52 |
| 17 | Tony Pollard | 41 | 238 | 57 |
In 2024 Hill caught 42 of 51 targets for 383 yards — 14th in receptions among NFL RBs, but more receiving yards than Kenneth Walker (299), Tony Pollard (238), or Zach Charbonnet (340). He did it as the clear RB2 behind Derrick Henry's 325-carry workload.
Why it matters. Reception counts get fantasy attention, but yards do the actual scoreboard work. Hill produced more receiving yardage than three featured starters who saw far more rushing carries, which speaks to how Baltimore deploys him — not as a checkdown valve but as a route-runner picking up real chunks. That's the difference between a passing-down body and a passing-down weapon.
He's the Ravens' RB2 — but on third down, the ball is his.
Rare3rd-down targets by year (regular season)
| Year | Tgts | Rec | Yds | First downs | TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 7 | 3 | 55 | 2 | 0 |
| 2024 | 18 | 15 | 168 | 8 | 0 |
| 2025 | 12 | 8 | 83 | 2 | 0 |
In 2024, 18 of Hill's 51 targets came on 3rd down — 35% of his receiving usage was concentrated in the most leverage situation, and he caught 15 of them for 168 yards and 8 first downs. Derrick Henry is the early-down hammer; Hill is who Baltimore calls when the chains matter.
Why it matters. A back who is invisible on first and second down but heavily targeted on third is a coverage stress for defenses — he forces them to keep a nickel personnel on the field even when the Ravens show a 2-back look. 35% of Hill's 2024 targets being on 3rd down is well above league average, so plan your defensive substitutions accordingly.
Derrick Henry took the workload — Hill kept the leverage.
SplitRavens RB room 2023–2025 (regular season)
| Year | Player | Car | Rush Yds | Rush TDs | Rec | Rec Yds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Gus Edwards | 198 | 810 | 13 | 12 | 180 |
| 2023 | Justice Hill | 84 | 387 | 3 | 28 | 206 |
| 2024 | Derrick Henry | 325 | 1,921 | 16 | 19 | 193 |
| 2024 | Justice Hill | 47 | 228 | 1 | 42 | 383 |
| 2025 | Derrick Henry | 307 | 1,595 | 16 | 15 | 150 |
| 2025 | Justice Hill | 18 | 93 | 2 | 21 | 169 |
When Henry arrived in 2024, Hill's carry share collapsed (84 → 47 → 18) but his receiving role expanded (28 → 42 → 21 rec in only 10 games). He's averaging 2.7 targets per game in 2025 — not far off his 2024 peak of 3.4 per game. The volume is gone; the role is intact.
Why it matters. Most RB2s evaporate when a workhorse arrives, but Hill's profile pivoted instead of collapsing. The targets per game stayed similar across 2024 and 2025 despite his carries falling by more than half, which means Baltimore explicitly designed him into the passing concepts — he's not just getting the leftovers Henry doesn't want.
Career game in 2024: 6 catches, 78 yards, 1 TD on the road against the Bills.
MilestoneTop single-game receiving (regular season)
| Date | Opp | Rec | Yds | TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 W4 | vs BUF | 6 | 78 | 1 |
| 2023 W17 | vs MIA | 5 | 64 | 1 |
| 2024 W15 | vs NYG | 5 | 61 | 1 |
His career-best receiving day came against Buffalo in Week 4 of 2024: 6-for-6, 78 yards, 1 TD. Notably, all 3 of his career 60+ yard receiving games include a touchdown — when he gets enough volume, he scores.
Why it matters. There's a small-sample pattern worth flagging: Hill has only three career games of 60+ receiving yards, and every single one finished with a receiving TD. It suggests Baltimore's design uses him as a red-zone or seam threat when he's already producing in the route tree — high-volume receiving days tend to come with goal-line looks attached.
9.1 yards per catch in 2024 — 3rd among every RB with 40+ receptions.
Rare2024 RBs ranked by yards per reception (min 40 rec, regular season)
| Rank | Player | Rec | Rec Yds | Y/R |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jahmyr Gibbs | 52 | 517 | 9.94 |
| 2 | D'Andre Swift | 42 | 386 | 9.19 |
| 3 | Justice Hill | 42 | 383 | 9.12 |
| 4 | James Conner | 47 | 414 | 8.81 |
| 5 | Breece Hall | 57 | 483 | 8.47 |
| 6 | Bucky Irving | 47 | 392 | 8.34 |
| 15 | Kenneth Walker III | 46 | 299 | 6.50 |
| 17 | Tony Pollard | 41 | 238 | 5.81 |
Among the 18 RBs who caught at least 40 passes in 2024, only Gibbs (9.94) and Swift (9.19) gained more yards per reception than Hill's 9.12. He cleared Kenneth Walker (6.50) and Tony Pollard (5.81) by more than 2.5 yards per catch, which is how he beat both on total yards despite fewer receptions than Walker.
Why it matters. Pass-catching RBs typically live on screens and checkdowns — think 6-7 yards per catch. Hill at 9.1 means Baltimore is throwing him real routes, not safety valves: angle routes, wheel routes, designed swings that get blocked up. It's a usage signal more than a talent signal, and it explains why his receiving production survives despite minimal carry volume.
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