Pats Pulpit
Previewing the Patriots running back heading into his fifth season in New England.
The New England Patriots entered the 2024 season with a simple battle plan. They wanted to dictate the flow of their games by playing stout defense and controlling the ball on offense. Needless to say, the plan did not work.
One of the main issues was a lack of success in the ground game: the Patriots ranked just 30th in the NFL in expected points added per run play. That number is heavily influenced by the team’s No. 1 running back and supposed offensive engine failing to produce at the desired level.
Name: Rhamondre Stevenson
Position: Running back
Jersey number: 38
Opening day age: 27 (2/23/1998)
Measurements: 5’11 1/2”, 227 lbs, 75” wingspan, 30 1/4” arm length, 9” hand size, 4.64s 40-yard dash, 7.09s 3-cone drill, 4.15s short shuttle, 31 1/2” vertical jump, 9’4” broad jump, 15 bench press reps, 3.98 Relative Athletic Score
NFL: New England Patriots (2021-) | College: Cerritos College (2017-18), Oklahoma (2019-20)
Despite a productive high school career at Centennial in Las Vegas, Stevenson was not rated as a recruit and flew largely under the radar heading toward college. As a consequence of this lack of interest in his services, he had to start off at the Juco level. However, a dominant 2018 season at Cerritos College that saw him rush for 2,111 yards and score 16 touchdowns put him on the map.
Stevenson ended up choosing Oklahoma over multiple other Power 5 offers. He spent two seasons as a Sooner, playing in 19 games and carrying the ball 165 times for 1,180 yards and 13 TDs; he also added 28 catches for 298 yards. While his raw production did not stand out, he displayed NFL-caliber talent throughout his time in Norman and was eventually selected 120th overall in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft.
Even though he lost a fumble on his second career touch, Stevenson developed into a core member of the Patriots offense over his four seasons as a pro. In total, he has appeared in a combined 57 regular season and playoff games and gained 3,093 rushing yards on 714 carries and scored 21 touchdowns. He also has been on the receiving end of 158 passes for a further 983 yards and two scores.
Strengths: At just under 6 feet and 227 pounds, Stevenson is a well-filled-out running back whose brand of football is a physical one. He plays with a sound pad level and combines it with good contact balance and effort; a player not easily brought down, he will keep his legs churning through contact and try to fall forward for extra yards. He additionally knows how to bounce off arm tackle attempts or shake defenders with his deceptive elusiveness and ability to switch to another gear.
A schematically-flexible back, Stevenson has good vision and a natural feel for exploiting holes in the defensive line. Once he...
