Titans' Dion Lewis, Derrick Henry create most dynamic backfield in NFL?

The Titans’ backfield could be the most dynamic in the NFL.

Dion Lewis and Derrick Henry were the second- and third-most elusive running backs in the league last season, according to an analysis of Next Gen Stats metrics by NFL.com. Tracking data from microchips in players’ shoulder pads were used to determine the average yards gained after defenders closed to within one yard, whether by breaking tackles or other evasion.

Chiefs rookie Kareem Hunt, who led the league in rushing yards, topped the list with an average of 4.63 “yards gained after close” among players with a minimum of 175 carries.

Lewis ranked second at 4.44. Henry was third with 4.09. The league average was 3.66.

“I’m excited to get to work with Henry. He’s a great back,” Lewis said Thursday at Saint Thomas Sports Park, after the former Patriots running back signed with the Titans in free agency. “He’s a big back, so I think that me and him together, we definitely could work very well together. Two different style guys, but both very hard to tackle.”

The 6-foot-3, 247-pound Henry, a powerful and nimble 2016 second-round draft pick who won the Heisman Trophy at Alabama, led the Titans with 744 rushing yards on 176 carries and scored five rushing touchdowns last season, despite serving as DeMarco Murray’s backup. He added 11 catches for 136 yards and a score.

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Henry appeared in line to become the Titans’ workhorse running back next season after the team released Murray last week. But that’s no longer the case.

While Henry still might take over as the starter and see an uptick of usage on early downs, the division of labor in the backfield became far murkier this week when the Titans signed Lewis. He inked a four-year contract worth up to $23 million, making him among the top 10 highest-paid running backs in the NFL.

The 5-foot-8, 195-pound Lewis racked up more than 1,100 yards from scrimmage last season. He led New England with 896 rushing yards and six touchdowns on 180 carries, and he excelled as a receiver out of the backfield, making 32 catches for 214 yards and three scores.

“It’ll work,” Lewis said about the division of labor. “I’m coming from a situation where I’ve shared the ball, so I’m used to sharing the ball, and I have no problem doing that here. But at the same time, I’m coming to compete. That’s one thing I am coming to do.”

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Henry’s size and speed make him a daunting challenge for tackles, particularly late in the game, when defenses are tired. He demonstrated a penchant for hitting the home run last season, sealing victories against the Colts and Texans with 72- and 75-yard touchdown runs, respectively, in the final minute of play.

But his biggest issue was consistency. Henry decisively surpassed 3.7 “yards gained after close” in five games last season, the NFL.com analysis revealed, but failed to reach that mark in every other game.

“He is a bigger back as we all know, and has really good speed in the open field,” Titans general manager Jon Robinson said at the NFL combine. “He is a guy who can get downhill, and he has the ability to pick and slide and get up in a crease. So we are looking forward to him getting back, and working with him in the new offense.”

Titans coach Mike Vrabel, speaking at the combine before the team released Murray, suggested that Henry would have to compete for the starting job.

Regardless of who begins the game on the field, Lewis probably will see heavy usage with the Titans, based on his pay and the system being implemented by offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur, who was with the Rams last season when running back Todd Gurley led the team with 64 catches.

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That’s not to compare Lewis with Gurley, but it's an indication that the running back position will play a significant role in the Titans’ passing game.

In 2016, when LaFleur served as Matt Ryan's quarterbacks coach with the Falcons, running backs Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman both heavily factored into the passing game, combining for 85 catches for 883 yards and five touchdowns.

Henry has caught more than two passes in just two of 33 career NFL games, including playoffs. That includes one instance last season, when he had three catches for 21 yards in the Titans’ divisional-round loss at New England.

But he’s flashed ability as a receiver, as well, taking a short pass from Marcus Mariota 66 yards for a touchdown in the Titans’ regular-season finale against the Jaguars.

“I think it’ll be a huge challenge for defenses because you’ve got a guy a lot bigger than me,” Lewis said, “and then you’ve got a guy with me who’s quick and can break tackles, too. I definitely think it’ll make defenses be on their toes on who’s in the game, and he’s hard to tackle, but when I get in the game, you can’t think I’m easy to tackle because I’m not. So I think that we’ll definitely be able to work together and use each other’s skillset to benefit each other.”

Reach Jason Wolf at jwolf@tennessean.com and follow him on Twitter @JasonWolf and on Instagram and Snapchat at TitansBeat.