The New England Patriots’ surprise run to Super Bowl LX wouldn’t have been possible without their deep (and much-needed) rookie class. Four rookies — Will Campbell, Jared Wilson, TreVeyon Henderson, and Kyle Williams — all ranked top-15 on offense in terms of total snaps played (including the playoffs), per Pro Football Focus. The defense was led in total snaps by fourth-round safety Craig Woodson.
In terms of young players still seeking their first Pro Bowl or All-Pro nod, the Patriots have a number of solid options for fans to feel hopeful about.
They just better hope Bleacher Report’s take on that very subject doesn’t hold true.
To be clear, this isn’t B/R writer Kris Knox’s fault. Henderson made a handful of memorable plays last season, enough that his stats made all the way-too-early Jahmyr Gibbs comparisons look justifiable on paper. He averaged over 5 yards per carry, topped 1,000 all-purpose yards, and scored in double digits.
For a second-round rookie, his NFL debut went about as well as fans (and fantasy football managers) could have hoped.
But Knox’s recent take on Henderson being the Patriots’ most promising young building block entering 2026 hit more like a warning shot than what it was probably intended to be.
“While Henderson wasn't as efficient in the postseason (2.5 YPC)," Knox wrote, "it's worth noting that New England's offensive line also struggled against playoff competition. If new additions Alijah Vera-Tucker and Caleb Lomu can boost New England's line, Henderson should be just as electric, if not more so, in Year 2.”
With all due respect to Henderson and his undeniable ability to make game-changing plays, if New England’s most promising building block isn’t Campbell — the left tackle it drafted with the No. 4 overall pick a year ago — this team could have major problems on its hands in the near future.
Will Campbell remains the Patriots' most important Year 2 player
For the record, quarterback Drake Maye is the obvious centerpiece of the Patriots’ ongoing roster build under Mike Vrabel. He wasn’t considered for Bleacher Report’s exercise after being named second-team All-Pro in 2025.
Knox went with Henderson largely because of his juice, which definitely popped at times on screen. Hidden behind his strong end-of-season stats, though, were some major efficiency issues that are hard for Patriots fans to ignore.
Per SumerSports, Henderson recorded a 42 percent rushing success rate in 2025, which ranked 48th among NFL running backs. Way more often than not, he struggled to find running lanes or show any sort of wiggle at the line of scrimmage.
He also left much to be desired in the passing game, proving to be a liability at times in protection. Henderson had 10 total catches from December on — a span of eight games, including the playoffs.
None of this means Henderson is destined to be a bust. It’s just the opposite, actually. If he can clean up some of these problem areas, he could be primed for a true breakout year.
But as it stands, he’ll enter training camp as a complementary back to Rhamondre Stevenson, who, even after losing three fumbles last year, was by far the Patriots’ most efficient back.
No Patriots fan should want a running back to be their most promising building block anyway. That’s exactly why teams like the Jets (Breece Hall) and Dolphins (DeVon Achane) continue to be the Jets and Dolphins.
Campbell didn’t even get a mention from Knox, but he’s clearly the guy. He was solid pre-knee injury and had a good performance in the Patriots’ wild-card playoff win against the Chargers. Things progressively worsened throughout the playoffs, but Campbell was a rookie playing at less than 100 percent in one of the most important positions in the sport.
There’s no question that Campbell has been hearing the outside noise. He certainly noticed what the Patriots just did in the first round of the NFL Draft.
He could be a better candidate for a Year 2 breakout than Henderson, and the Patriots can only hope that’s the case. They could find capable running backs for Maye blindfolded.
What Maye really needs is an enforcer who will help keep him upright on Sundays, and there’s no reason to completely dismiss Campbell like B/R just did without a larger sample size.
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