Sportsnaut
The Patriots are preparing for their Week 1 matchup against the Raiders this Sunday. There are high expectations for the Patriots in 2025 as they enter the second year of Drake Maye and the first of head coach Mike Vrabel.
Ahead of the season opener, the team released its first depth chart. For the most part, there were no surprises, but there is one spot worth taking notice of. At running back, Rhamondre Stevenson is listed as the starter while veteran Antonio Gibson is listed as the backup. This means impressive rookie TreVeyon Henderson is the third running back, which is surprising given Henderson’s impressive summer.
The rookie began getting noticed earlier this summer with his field vision and burst out of the backfield. The Ohio State product also impressed as a route-runner and demonstrated an ability to be a solid blocker as well.
Henderson was added in the second round of the 2025 draft out of Ohio State. The running back rushed for 1,016 yards last season and led the Big 10 with 7.1 yards per attempt. Henderson was a key reason why the Buckeyes were able to win the championship in 2024.
In the preseason opener against the Commanders, Henderson took the opening kickoff 100 yards to the house to open the scoring. The running back also caught three passes and had an 18-yard rush in that game. In the second game, Henderson rushed 20 yards and one score and also had a 26-yard kick return. Henderson did not see the field in the preseason finale.
After that impressive display, many believed that the rookie and Stevenson would split carries in 2025. In fact, last month, The Athletic’s Chad Graff wrote that he is “confident at this point that Henderson will get half of the running back snaps this season.”
Of course, Henderson could still end up getting half of the carries, but it seems like he will have to earn that spot. If Stevenson or Gibson struggle, don’t be surprised to see Henderson take on a larger role and not relinquish it.
More must-reads:
