New England Patriots - NESN.com
TreVeyon Henderson has a chance to hit the ground running for the New England Patriots.
New England officially signed its No. 38 overall pick on Saturday before starting training camp. Fresh off winning a national title at Ohio State, Henderson joins a Patriots backfield seeking an extra jolt in 2025.
NFL.com’s Dan Parr ranked his top-10 Offensive Rookie of the Year candidates on Monday. While he’s a long shot to win the award, Henderson placed No. 8 in a field led by two-way standout Travis Hunter.
“Yes, Henderson will compete against Rhamondre Stevenson and, to a lesser extent, Antonio Gibson for carries, but I expect it to become clear relatively quickly to head coach Mike Vrabel that the rookie is the best back to feature in his offense,” Parr wrote.
Parr ultimately included Henderson as the third and final running back in his top 10 behind Ashton Jeanty (No. 2) and Omarion Hampton (No. 4).
“If Henderson stays healthy — a struggle for him at times during his Ohio State career — he can thrive on all three downs, and he’s an explosive runner (7.1 yards per carry last season),” Parr added. “It was a tough call for the final rusher to include in my top 10, with RJ Harvey and Kaleb Johnson also earning consideration, but I like Henderson’s situation and all-around game the most of that trio. The New England offense has a chance to be better than people expect in Drake Maye’s second season, thanks in part to the arrival of the former Buckeye.”
No running back has received ROY honors since Saquon Barkley in 2018, and first-round picks Jeanty and Hampton could draw far more touches than Henderson this season. Henderson is a +2000 betting underdog to give the Pats their first Offensive ROY winner in 30 years.
Yet Henderson flaunted big-play upside throughout his college career, scoring 48 touchdowns in 47 games for the Buckeyes. He’ll receive protection from offensive lineman Will Campbell, who probably won’t receive any Rookie of the Year attention even if the No. 4 pick lives up to his draft slot with a dominant start.
