If you watch Derrick Henry today—a 250-pound mountain of a man who routinely outruns cornerbacks—it feels impossible that the NFL let 44 players go ahead of him. It’s one of those "wait, really?" moments in football history. People often assume a Heisman winner with a national championship ring would be a lock for a top-five pick.
Not "The Tractorcito."
So, when did Derrick Henry get drafted? The answer is April 29, 2016. It was a Friday night. He was sitting there in the green room, waiting, while teams convinced themselves that he was "too tall" or "too stiff" to make it in the modern NFL.
The Night the Titans Called
The Tennessee Titans finally ended the slide. They took him in the second round with the 45th overall pick.
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Think about that.
Forty-four guys. Seven of them were fellow offensive players like Corey Coleman and Laquon Treadwell. Even Ezekiel Elliott, who was a monster in his own right, went 41 picks earlier at number four. The Titans weren't even sure if he was "The Guy" yet because they had just traded for DeMarco Murray.
It was a weird time for the position. Teams were starting to fall out of love with "bell-cow" backs. They wanted shiftiness. They wanted guys who could catch 80 passes a year. Henry? He was a throwback. He looked like a defensive end playing running back. Honestly, the scouting reports from that spring are hilarious to read now.
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Why Did He Fall to the Second Round?
You’d think a guy who broke Herschel Walker’s SEC rushing record (2,219 yards in one season!) would be a no-brainer. But the NFL has a funny way of overthinking things.
- The "Bama Back" Stigma: At the time, scouts were terrified of Alabama running backs. People looked at Trent Richardson’s NFL faceplant and Eddie Lacy’s conditioning issues and got cold feet. There was this narrative that Nick Saban "used up" his backs before they even reached the pros.
- The "Tall" Problem: Henry is 6'3". In the NFL, that’s usually considered too high of a center of gravity for a runner. Scouts worried he offered too much surface area for defenders to hit. They thought he’d be easy to trip up at the line of scrimmage.
- Limited Receiving: At Alabama, he basically never caught the ball. He had 17 total receptions in three years. In a league moving toward "PPR" style backs, that was a massive red flag.
Draft Day Reality vs. Career Reality
When you look back at when did Derrick Henry get drafted, you realize the Titans got the steal of the decade. But it didn't happen overnight.
He actually spent his first two seasons as a backup. People forget that. He was playing behind DeMarco Murray, just waiting for a crack in the door. It wasn't until late 2018—specifically that 99-yard touchdown run against the Jaguars—that the world realized the 44 teams who passed on him had made a historic mistake.
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Fast forward to 2026, and he's still a force. He’s moved on to the Baltimore Ravens now, but the legend started in that 2016 draft class. He's one of the few players to ever hit 2,000 yards in high school (he’s the all-time leader there), 2,000 yards in college, and 2,000 yards in the NFL.
Actionable Takeaway for Fans and Collectors
If you’re a sports card collector or a jersey hunter, knowing the 2016 draft year is vital. His "Rookie Cards" are all from that 2016 season, often featuring him in that classic Titans navy and light blue.
If you want to track his progress or compare him to current rookies, keep an eye on his "yards after contact" stats. Even at his current age, he's still outperforming most 22-year-olds in that department. It's a testament to why draft "prototypes" aren't always right.
Check out the Pro Football Reference page for the 2016 class sometime. It’s a wild trip down memory lane. You'll see names you've completely forgotten, all while "King Henry" is still out there stiff-arming people into the turf.