The Patriots' first-round draft pick was drowned out by the massive trade-up the Jaguars made with the Browns to acquire CB/WR Travis Hunter with the No. 2 overall pick. The Giants then took the best pass rusher of the incoming class, Penn State's Abdul Carter, leaving the Patriots with a boring selection of LSU left tackle Will Campbell.
It was a much-needed pick, given how poorly the offensive line played in 2024, but taking a tackle early in the first round doesn't yield much excitement, no matter how good of a player or big of a need he might be.
Things were expected to be more interesting come Day 2 of the draft, as the Patriots went into the evening with three picks throughout the second and third rounds. They immediately lived up to that optimism by shockingly selecting Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson with the 38th overall pick.
With pick 38, the Patriots draft Ohio State RB TreVeyon Henderson.
— Mark Daniels (@ByMarkDaniels) April 25, 2025
Really good running back. Henderson ran for 1,016 yards with 10 touchdowns last season. He also caught 27 passes for 284 yards.
The Patriots RB is stacked with Rhamondre Stevenson, Antonio Gibson and Henderson.
The running back class was said to be deep this year, but the Patriots were not willing to wait it out and couldn't pass on taking one of the best of the group with Henderson still on the board. To make it even better, the Browns passing on him for his teammate meant he fell right into the Patriots' lap.
The Patriots continue to prioritize building a solid offense around Drake Maye by drafting TreVeyon Henderson
Despite several impressive wide receivers remaining on the board at pick No. 38, the Patriots chose to take a different weapon for Drake Maye and add another threat to the backfield by drafting Henderson in Round 2.
The Ohio State alum is set to join a crowded backfield led by Antonio Gibson and Rhamondre Stevenson, giving Mike Vrabel another hungry running back to work with, like his days with Derrick Henry in Tennessee.
The 5-foot-10 rusher had a standout 2024 season by recording 144 carries for 1,016 yards and ten touchdowns, all while averaging 7.1 yards per carry. On top of that, he added 27 receptions for 284 yards and a score as a receiver, making his addition to the Patriots offense that much more incredible.
To make his pick even more applaudible, he's also known for being a solid run blocker, something the Patriots will certainly benefit from. Some would argue that all of this makes him a better prospect than his former teammate Quinshon Judkins, whom the Browns picked just a few minutes before. It makes you wonder if he would be a Patriot had Cleveland taken Henderson instead.