New England Patriots - NESN.com
The New England Patriots added tons of talent during the 2025 NFL Draft, so we decided to take a more in-depth look at their selections and see how they can help the franchise move into a new direction. TreVeyon Henderson is first up!
The Patriots have built championship-caliber offenses around these guys…
Kevin Faulk got it all started in the early 2000s, biting the bullet and accepting a role that he originally wanted no part of before becoming a franchise fixture. Danny Woodhead and Shane Vereen helped keep things afloat, bringing a new level of athleticism as the role became even more important to the offense. James White perfected it, kickstarting the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history before eventually becoming Tom Brady’s most trusted target — Julian Edelman, Danny Ameneola and Rob Gronkowski, be damned. Dion Lewis, Brandon Bolden and Patrick Pass also performed admirably when handed the reins, albeit for short bursts.
Yes, we’re talking about running backs who primarily play on passing downs. Yes, they can be this important to an offense. Yes, they will once again become a fixture at One Patriot Place with the return of Josh McDaniels.
Why all the talk about a relatively non-descript role in an offense?
TreVeyon Henderson is next in line to fill it, and could very well end up being the best.
Henderson is undoubtedly the most talented player to be thrown into this spot, matching up extremely well when it comes to the physical aspects of the position with those that we mentioned earlier.
Relative Athletic Score is a scale that grades a player’s measurements and testing numbers compared to others at their position. Henderson finished with an 9.43 out of 10, while Faulk (5.49), Vereen (7.18) and White (5.76) came in well below average. Woodhead had a great score (8.68), but was also the smallest of anybody on our list. It’s all in the numbers.
The Patriots didn’t just take this kid based on a math equation, though.
Henderson had two things that stood head and shoulders above other prospects in his position group, and both line up perfectly with what he’ll be asked to do in New England. Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard said he’s “as good a pass-protection back as I’ve seen coming out of college” in his post-draft meeting with local media. It’s not like he’s just going to be blocking, either, as the 22-year-old finished among college football’s best in explosive run rate (17.7%) and yards after contact per carry (3.90).
McDaniels has to be licking his chops, because this kid can score from anywhere on the field and serve as a personal protector to the franchise quarterback.
The Patriots did take him at No. 38, and given the value of that draft spot, you might be wondering why we would pigeonhole him into that passing-down role. Rhamondre Stevenson had a ton of fumbles last season and has dealt with nagging injuries, so why reduce his touches and elevate the rookie?
Ohio...
