The New England Patriots made a statement in the 2025 NFL draft, selecting offensive tackle Will Campbell in the first round, followed by running back TreVeyon Henderson in round two. Both will serve as tremendous upgrades for quarterback Drake Maye, both in 2025 and beyond.
TreVeyon Henderson helped the Ohio State Buckeyes to a National Championship in the 2024 college football season and has been one of the most consistent backs in the nation for the past four seasons. He’s now expected to make an instant impact with the New England Patriots.
Photo by John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
Former NFL star gives Henderson glowing rank among RBs
TreVeyon Henderson was a five-star recruit out of high school, ranked as the best running back in the nation. He committed to play for the Ohio State Buckeyes, where he immediately took over as the program’s star back.
Henderson posted 1,248 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns in his first season at Ohio State. He missed time in both the 2022 and 2023 seasons, but his 2024 campaign was superb.
Quinshon Judkins came over from Ole Miss, and the two split the workload on what became a National Championship-winning roster. They were drafted within minutes of each other in the early second round of the 2025 draft, and with good reason.
Henderson recorded 1,010 yards and 10 touchdowns on just 145 carries in the 2024 season. He averaged a career-high 7.0 yards per attempt, improving his college career average to 6.4 YPA.
The TreVeyon Henderson screen TD was more than just speed and poor defensive design.
Texas FS Andrew Mukuba has the pursuit angle, but Henderson is so dang good in the open-field. He anticipates the block of Hinzman #75 and then cuts behind it (all while at full speed). pic.twitter.com/s1EYp3qe6W
— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) January 11, 2025
The New England Patriots drafted him as the long-term future of the franchise at running back, particularly after Rhamondre Stevenson fell out of favor last season.
Former NFL star Maurice Jones-Drew caught up with Steve Smith Sr. prior to the draft to talk about the class of backs, and had a lot of praise for Henderson,
MJD put him second in the class, right behind Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty, who was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy this past season, having put up historic numbers only Barry Sanders could beat.
When asked about Henderson, Jones-Drew had a very specific reason to put him second on his list:
“I’ve never seen two backs dominate the way they did. I’ve talked to a lot of teams. TreVeyon Henderson was the number one-rated pass protector in the Big 10. It’s unbelievable. I’ve had coaches tell me they’d rather take him over Jeanty, just because I know I could play him on third down and he could pick the blitz up.”
He continued: “We talk about his skillset, he’s explosive, home run hitter. Love the way he runs screens, he’s physical, but at the end of the day, if you can protect the quarterback, that’s the most important thing.”
Jones-Drew went on to explain that he learned from Eric Bienemy at a young age, that if you can’t pick up blitzes, you’re not going to play as often as you want to.
TreVeyon Henderson is one of the most polished pass-protecting running backs the NFL draft has ever seen. He will act as an additional offensive lineman for Drake Maye, and that’s going to be huge for the Patriots offense.
New England’s new-look offense in 2025
Drake Maye was the most pressured quarterback in the NFL in 2024. The offensive line struggled tremendously and they certainly didn’t have a pass-protecting running back like TreVeyon Henderson in there picking up the free blitzer.
Henderson will join Rhamondre Stevenson in the backfield, but there’s a popular belief that the rookie might see the field as RB1 in a hurry.
The Patriots upgraded at wide receiver too, with Stefon Diggs coming in on a three-year deal via free agency. He may not be ready for Week 1, but when he’s on the field he’s still one of the most reliable targets in the league.
Diggs will help free up the younger talent on the roster, including 2024 contributors Demario Douglas and Kayshon Boutte. Rookie third-rounder Kyle Williams will add another vertical threat to the unit, and there’s so much competition for spots now that guys like 2024 second-rounder JaLynn Polk are at risk of not making the team.