PFF Names Patriots Player With ‘Most To Prove’ This Season

Most of the New England Patriots’ roster is out to prove themselves in 2025. However, one player could face added pressure to succeed.

Zoltán Buday of Pro Football Focus identified 10 NFL players with the “most to prove” this season. The list included quarterbacks Caleb Williams and Trevor Lawrence, tight end Kyle Pitts, and the recently cut Jaire Alexander.

Buday also highlighted a Patriots player out to show that a down 2024 was a “fluke.” Rhamondre Stevenson is among the NFL stars with a score to settle.

Although he scored a career-high eight touchdowns last season, Stevenson averaged a career-low 3.9 yards per carry. The former fourth-round pick also coughed up seven fumbles, matching his tally from his previous three seasons combined.

Buday noted that Stevenson’s grade dipped to 69.6, down from 81.3 when he registered 1,461 yards in 2022. Yet an upgraded supporting cast could support a bounce-back campaign from the 27-year-old.

“Stevenson should have a better season just by eliminating fumbles. However, having to run behind arguably the worst offensive line in 2024 certainly did not help,” Buday wrote. “A strengthened offensive line in front of him and a better passing offense led by second-year quarterback Drake Maye could certainly contribute to Stevenson once again playing at his best in 2025.”

The Patriots signed veteran offensive linemen Morgan Moses and center Garrett Bradbury and drafted left tackle Will Campbell with the No. 4 overall pick. They also added wide receiver Stefon Diggs to an offense hoping to improve under Josh McDaniels after finishing 31st in total yards last season.

New England drafted TreVeyon Henderson in the second round, but the rookie running back could complement Stevenson as a speedster and pass-catcher rather than taking his teammate’s touches. Last month, head coach Mike Vrabel foreshadowed a vital role for Stevenson in 2025.

“When you start to evaluate this season and you watch the effort that he played with when he didn’t have the football, he played extremely fast without the football,” Vrabel said of Stevenson. “His ability to step up and protect is taking care of a teammate. It’s protecting the guy with the ball. He did that on numerous occasions. You always saw him downfield when he didn’t have the ball. So, he’s going to be a large part of what we do.”