TreVeyon Henderson

The Patriots used the No. 38 overall pick on Henderson, and that kind of early second-round draft capital strongly suggests they view him as more than just a change-of-pace back. Since 2010, second-round running backs who played at least 14 games have averaged 188 touches for 931 total yards and 5.4 touchdowns as rookies—production well within Henderson’s range if he can carve out a consistent role. New GM Eliot Wolf called him “a three-down back and a really good complement,” which doesn’t clarify much, but it’s notable considering Rhamondre Stevenson has averaged just 3.91 yards per carry over the last two seasons. Henderson offers another gear—he ran a 4.43 with an 81st percentile speed score and 91st percentile burst score per Player Profiler—and he ranked 4th in PFF rushing grade in this year’s draft class. Chad Graff of The Athletic wrote that Henderson “might be the most exciting player for Patriots fans to watch in camp” and that “it’s frankly astounding how quickly he gets to top speed.” If that explosiveness translates early, he could quickly leapfrog Stevenson and push for lead-back duties. For now, Henderson profiles as a high-end, upside RB3 with the potential to be a weekly RB2 if he grabs the top spot in what should be an improving offense.