Ex Steelers DB thinks he could tackle Derrick Henry
The Tennessee Titans have one of the most devastating running backs in NFL history in Derrick Henry, but former Pittsburgh Steelers DB Ryan Clark is pretty sure he could take him one on one.
I know what you are thinking, “Man that is a really weird take when able-bodied NFL players actively aren’t doing that now. Not just scrubs either, even Hall of Famers like Earl Thomas are big talkers until they are left on an island with Derrick Henry.” and you are absolutely right to think that.
But, here we are and Ryan Clark firmly believes that not only could he tackle Henry one on one, but that Henry doesn’t “run with the same physicality” when he has to compete with linebackers or defensive linemen in general.
I think @KingHenry_2 is a monster. One of the best backs in football. I don’t believe he runs with the same physicality in the front 7, or tight spaces as on the second level! This is not a hot take. Just a fact, & it’s ok! Still balls. In a small space I wouldn’t blink!
— Ryan Clark (@Realrclark25) October 23, 2020
I just wrote an article about how you could stack Derrick Henry’s top-10 plays against any other RB’s top-10 in NFL history and you would be able to make an argument for the 26-year-old Titans star.
That article isn’t filled with plays where Henry is lined up at wide receiver or where he avoids a tackle in the backfield and then runs over small defensive backs. In fact, it is filled with plays where Henry stiff arms the middle linebacker or runs through a tackle from an outside linebacker.
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And all of those “big guys” he runs by before he gets to that second level that he could try to prove himself against, are actually just guys that weigh as much as Derrick Henry, but who don’t have the elite athleticism to run with him. If they can’t keep with him, it isn’t his obligation to slow down and prove he is tougher than them.
Also, his two 90-yard+ runs have come up the middle on plays where J.J. Watt and Calais Campbell were on the field, so that seems relevant.
Think about it like this, Ryan Clark wasn’t afraid to get his nose dirty with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but you could say that about a lot of defensive backs in the NFL over the last few years. How many times have you seen a defensive back get the better of Derrick Henry in the open field?
How many times have you seen him punished by a linebacker on the goal line?
I’m not saying it could never happen, but Clark’s highlight reel is full of plays that would get him kicked out of games now and even if he were to go down that road do we really think that Clark would step in and be the best thumping DB in the NFL right now?