Josh McDaniels Pinpoints Skill TreVeyon Henderson Has That Might Be Best He’s Coached

TreVeyon Henderson has not waited long to burst onto the scene, turning heads in his preseason debut. Suffice it to say his speed already had turned Josh McDaniels’ head prior to Friday.

The rookie running back had one rush for 18 yards, plus a trio of catches for 12 years. However, he had a dazzling opening kickoff return touchdown setting the tone for the 48-18 drubbing of the Washington Commanders.

The second-round pick has been one of the New England Patriots’ most impressive players in camp, and has a real shot at carving out a sizable role for himself in Year 1. The 22-year-old long has been lauded for his dynamic style of play, with his impressive speed being the engine behind it all.

Speaking to the media Monday, McDaniels said that Henderson’s speed might be the best he’s coached before.

“I think everybody sees TreVeyon the same way,” McDaniels said. “First of all, he’s a tremendous kid. Awesome individual, really hard worker, smart kid, can process a lot of information, which allows you as a coach to try to use him in the ways that he should be used.

“Explosive, I think we all saw that the other night, and tough, physical. I don’t have many negatives to say about Trey, but excited to coach him. We’ve had some really good players with skill sets that are somewhat like his, maybe nobody quite as fast as (him) — (Shane) Vereen was probably, him and Danny Woodhead were fast, but TreVeyon is fast, fast. So excited to be with him.”

Henderson ran a 4.43 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. He was a key part of the Ohio State offense in college, forming a solid combination with power back Quinshon Judkins. You don’t have to squint too hard to see how a Henderson-Rhamondre Stevenson combination could work similarly well.

That doesn’t even include Antonio Gibson, who is back after becoming New England’s most reliable players at the position for lengthy stretches last season.

So, thanks in no small part to Henderson, the running back room could make a substantial collective jump in 2025.