TreVeyon Henderson Could Revolutionize Famed Patriots Role

The New England Patriots added tons of talent in 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 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 a 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 the Ohio State product 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 Henderson’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 Henderson 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 State provided a blueprint.

Henderson spent his first three collegiate seasons as a feature back, but saw his numbers dip year-over-year as he started to miss games while injuries piled up. The Buckeyes recognized that he needed to be taken care of and eased the load on him by bringing in transfer running back Quinshon Judkins.

Henderson and Judkins quickly became the best duo in the country, but it was the former who got healthy and saw his numbers rise back up with less wear and tear on his body. The Patriots could essentially do the same thing here, with Stevenson being the one to benefit from fewer total reps and Henderson serving as a specialized — but very important — piece in the offense.

McDaniels historically likes using a stable of running backs, and the way things are currently set up will allow him to do just that. Stevenson can be the early-down bruiser. Henderson will be the guy in passing situations. Antonio Gibson can even benefit from being a change-of-pace back, just as he did at times last season.

It’s a proven formula for this organization, this system and these players. New England knows how well this thing works and is looking back to that familiar well yet again.

Henderson can be better than what is familiar, though, and should get every chance to prove it.