The New York Giants may have boosted their own offense by drafting Cam Skattebo, but in doing so, they might have unintentionally thrown a wrench into the Baltimore Ravens’ delicate contract situation with Derrick Henry.
Baltimore is quietly locked in a pivotal standoff with their star running back, who is entering the final year of a two-year deal signed last offseason.
Henry is coming off a monstrous campaign in 2024—racking up over 2,100 scrimmage yards and 18 touchdowns—and has every reason to push for a well-deserved extension.
While the Ravens want to get a deal done, they’ve also been holding onto a bit of silent leverage: the idea that they could potentially find a younger, cheaper alternative in the draft if talks stalled.
That safety net just disappeared.
With the Giants selecting Skattebo early in the fourth round, the last “Henry-style” power back on the board is officially gone. And though Skattebo isn’t a one-to-one comparison to Henry in size or stature—he stands at 5-foot-9 and weighs in at 219 pounds compared to Henry’s 6-foot-3, 250-pound frame—he’s drawn praise for his violent, downhill running style. If you squint, you see shades of Henry in how Skattebo seeks out contact, punishes defenders, and plays with a relentless edge. In a draft that lacked true power runners, he stood alone as the closest thing to that bruising prototype.
And now, he’s off the table—and in a backfield that won’t be letting him go anytime soon.
That’s a big problem for the Ravens.
With Skattebo gone, Baltimore’s fallback plan essentially vanishes. The remaining backs in the draft (and even in free agency) simply don’t offer the same intimidation factor or punishing presence that Henry brings. Which means this: if the Ravens can’t get an extension done with their current star, they don’t have a realistic Plan B. The draft board already made that decision for them.
Meanwhile, Henry’s camp just gained even more negotiating power. Already bolstered by Saquon Barkley’s market-shaking contract with the Eagles, they now know the Ravens have no real alternatives. That leverage was already shifting toward Henry—and the Giants, perhaps unknowingly, just tilted the scales even further.
So, while New York walks away with a hard-nosed runner who fits their offensive identity, Baltimore is left with a shrinking window and rising pressure. The longer they wait, the more expensive this could get. And if they hoped to play the “we can replace you” card at the table, that card just went up in smoke.
Whether Baltimore admits it or not, the Giants just did Derrick Henry a huge favor. And when this saga ends, it might cost the Ravens more than they ever expected.
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