Because the Patriots' new regime spent most of the available cap space to jam pack the defense with talent, it was expected that they would prioritize the offense in the NFL Draft. That made it easy to predict they would select left tackle Will Campbell in the first round, and the following picks would likely be offensive weapons for Drake Maye to work with.
It is the path Mike Vrabel and Eliot Wolf followed by shockingly picking Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson in Round 2, a player they did not have extensive history with, nor did the backfield appear to need upgrades. However, with one of the top running backs still on the board at No. 38, it made sense for the Patriots to take the best player available.
Although some felt they should have taken a wide receiver instead, despite taking Kyle Williams with the next pick, Henderson provides an immediate boost to the offense and gives Maye another impressive weapon to work with. He rounds out a running back room made up of Antonio Gibson and Rhamondre Stevenson, and could seriously compete for the RB2 role this fall, which might be more difficult than some expect.
That's something Bleacher Report's Alex Kay thinks could be a problem for New England this fall, making him believe Henderson went to the wrong team on draft night.
TreVeyon Henderson is labeled a rookie who went to the "worst landing spot to become a first year star"
Since Stevenson and Gibson were presumed to be the team's No. 1 and 2 backs, Henderson's selection confused analysts and fans upon the announcement. Although he was highly regarded and had just won a championship with Ohio State, the running back room wasn't near the top of the list, and it needed upgrades, which might push Henderson down the depth chart in his rookie season.
Kay believes that makes the Patriots an unfavorable destination for Henderson to land at the start of his NFL career, as he will compete with the two veterans for snaps and might not get much action on game day.
"Game scripting may not be kind to Henderson’s chances of logging double-digit carries on a weekly basis. The Pats are projected to win a middling 7.5 games in 2025, and while this represents an improvement for a squad that won just eight total contests over the last two seasons, it’s likely New England will still be playing from behind frequently in 2025.
There’s every reason to believe Henderson will eventually become a feature back and a star for the Patriots, but the team needs at least one more offseason to load up on pieces before his inevitable breakout."
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While he might have a point to an extent, Kay seems to be underestimating just how willing Vrabel and Co. are to shake things up with the roster if they see fit. They have already made it clear there is no loyalty to the players who were on the team by cutting longtime starting center David Andrews, captains Ja'Whaun Bentley and Joe Cardona, plus cornerback Jonathan Jones and Deatrich Wise Jr.
That inevitably makes any player expendable, even players like Gibson and Stevenson. If they feel Henderson is a better fit with the offense they're trying to put out and he has a higher ceiling, there's no reason to believe they won't keep him or make him a starter over the others.
Time will tell, but Vrabel wants to make this Patriots team his own and will do whatever it takes to put the best team out on the field, no matter what.