In the 2024 NFL season, three of the seven highest-paid running backs had been free agents in March. And all three delivered, finishing the season ranked among the top six in rushing yards for teams that won at least 11 regular-season games.

Baltimore Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta made one of those running-back signings and doesn’t have any regrets about getting Derrick Henry for a two-year, $16 million contract.

“Derrick is just a phenomenal worker,” DeCosta said on Tuesday during his press conference at the NFL Scouting Combine. “He’s a pro. He does everything the right way — the way that he practices, the way that he takes care of his body, his mentality on the field, his leadership, his talent. He’s freakishly talented, his combination of size and speed. He was just a perfect player for us last year.

“The right addition, and he brought a lot to the table on the field and also off the field with intangible qualities. We’re blessed to have him, and I would expect his successes last year to continue this year.”

Henry ran for 1,921 yards and 16 touchdowns on 325 carries and caught 19 passes for 193 yards and two touchdowns as he set a franchise single-season record with 18 TDs in 2024.

The Ravens rushed for 3,189 yards in 17 regular-season games, the second-most in one season in NFL history, and won the AFC North with a 12-5 record.

Henry added 270 rushing yards and three touchdowns in two postseason games.

Henry had the 11th-most rushing yards in one season in NFL history, but he didn’t lead the league in rushing in 2024. DeCosta’s signing of Henry might have been considered the grand slam of last year’s free agency if not for what happened after the Philadelphia Eagles signed running back Saquon Barkley.

Barkley ran for 2,005 yards and 13 touchdowns in the regular season, then had 499 rushing yards and five touchdowns in the postseason as the Eagles won Super Bowl LIX.

Along with Josh Jacobs delivering 1,329 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns for the Green Bay Packers after coming aboard last year in free agency, the success of Barkley and Henry showed the running-back “stock market” had rebounded, DeCosta said.

RELATED: ALABAMA MATCHES MIAMI FEAT WITH 4 1,000-YARD NFL RUSHERS IN 2024

“When I was a kid, running back was arguably the most important position on the field,” DeCosta said. “I grew up a Cowboys fan. Tony Dorsett, Emmitt Smith, guys like that were my idols. And then we went through this period of the last five, 10 years, the analytics emphasis sort of deemphasized the position. And I think last year, you saw the impact that some of these guys had, and (Eagles general manager) Howie Roseman — a great GM — went out and got Saquon, and they won a Super Bowl. A lot of credit to Howie.

“But these are guys that touch the ball. These are guys that impact games. I think they’re looked at as probably replaceable by some people. But if you have a great one, if you have a historic one, you can’t replace those guys. They impact the game in many different ways, and they create nightmares for defenses.”

DeCosta signed Henry when the former Alabama All-American was 30 years old, the supposed expiration date for running backs. Now the Ravens general manager is being asked about the possibility of an extension for Henry.

“Well, I see Michelle (Andres, senior vice president of Ravens media) over here,” DeCosta said. “She helps decorate my office wall, and I think we have a picture of Derrick going up on my wall, so what does that tell you?”

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.