After an impressive offseason built around a new coaching staff with the vision of surrounding their presumed franchise quarterback, Drake Maye, with the caliber of talent needed to elevate his game to the next level, there is a lot of excitement about what that could mean for the 2025 season.
The additions of an upgraded offense, starting with receivers Stefon Diggs, Mack Hollins, and rookie Kyle Williams, have garnered the most optimism, which is deserved. But that has inevitably put rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson and Rhamondre Stevenson wrongfully on the back burner, despite the high regard for what the new backfield duo can accomplish together.
Some of it might be due to Stevenson's problematic 2024 season, which is mainly remembered for the unusually high number of fumbles he recorded. And maybe the surprise of adding Henderson in the second round of this year's draft has fans not as bought in as some of his new teammates.
However, the latest projections for what the elite pair will do for the Patriots in 2025 should immediately change that.
TreVeyon Henderson and Rhamondre Stevenson could have a strong argument to be the best RB duo in the NFL in 2025
In an experiment with ChatGPT and a hypothetical Patriots season, Cam Garrity of Patriots Wire revealed the stat lines of several starters for the upcoming season, including Henderson and Stevenson.
Most of the predictions are impressive and certainly noteworthy, including what the running backs are projected to record. The AI experiment predicts that the rookie will total 1,104 rushing yards with ten touchdowns, averaging 4.6 yards per carry, and add 321 receiving yards and two more scores.
On top of that, Stevenson is predicted to have a not-too-shabby season, either, by recording 752 rushing yards with seven touchdowns, plus 288 receiving yards and another score. That means between the two of them, the Patriots offense will have 1,856 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns along with 609 receiving yards and three touchdowns just from these two players.
To compare that to last season, with Stevenson as the RB1 and Antonio Gibson as his backup, they totaled 1,339 rushing yards and eight touchdowns, plus 374 receiving yards and one touchdown. So, if this projection is accurate, it's quite an upgrade with the new pairing in the backfield, not to mention that Gibson could potentially make the roster as well. That would really put the group over the top.
The Patriots could arguably have the best RB duo in the league with Henderson and Stevenson, which is something the team has long needed since the days of LeGarrette Blount and James White and even Rex Burkhead. It adds another element to the offense to boost their productivity, something Maye could undoubtedly benefit from in his second season. And we know how good McDaniels is with a loaded backfield.