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Colts GM praised Patriots RB TreVeyon Henderson for this skillset
"I thought Henderson at Ohio State might have been as good a pass-protection back as I’ve seen coming out of college."
The Patriots landed one of the top running-back prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft in Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson.
On a Patriots’ offense that was woefully short on big-play capabilities in 2024, Henderson stands to serve as a breath of fresh air.
The 22-year-old running back was a force last season with Ohio State, rushing for 1,016 yards (7.1 yards per carry) and 10 touchdowns across 16 games while also reeling in 27 catches for 284 yards and one receiving touchdown.
A home-run hitter given his straight-line speed, 22.1 percent of Henderson’s carries in 2024 resulted in gains of 10 or more yards. That stood as the third-best mark in the FBS, according to The Athletic’s Dane Brugler.
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According to The 33rd Team, Henderson also recorded a max speed of 22 miles per hour last season in Columbus, with only Brian Thomas Jr., Jahmyr Gibbs, and KaVontae Turpin racing 22+ miles per hour among NFL ball carriers in 2024.
But, Henderson’s value to New England goes beyond his potential as both an explosive presence in the backfield and as a receiving target.
Henderson was also routinely praised in draft reports for being one one of the best pass-blocking backs in this draft class.
That sentiment was echoed once again on Monday by Colts GM Chris Ballard, who noted that Henderson separated himself from the rest of the pack among 2025 draftees when it came to picking up blitzes and protecting the quarterback.
“Any running back coming into our league, the hardest thing for them is pass protection,” Ballard said. “It’s just — all of them have to learn. There’s very few. Like … I will say this. I thought Henderson at Ohio State might have been as good a pass-protection back as I’ve seen coming out of college.
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“But most of them, they’re just not asked to do it at the level we are asking our guys to do it — especially with the size of the men they have to block that are coming at them.”
While the Patriots placed a premium on protecting Drake Maye by selecting a pair of offensive linemen in Will Campbell (No. 4 overall) and Jared Wilson (No. 95 overall) in the first three rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft — a heat-seeking missile like Henderson should add another layer of protection when it comes to picking up pass-rushers and clearing a path for his teammates when called upon.
Speaking after Round 3 of the 2025 NFL Draft, Patriots executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf also praised Henderson’s ability to keep his quarterback off the turf.
“He’s a really good pass protector,” Wolf said. “He can run routes, he can catch the football, but he can also run inside. He’s not a grinder between the tackles power runner, but he has good vision. He hits the hole hard. He has good feet and obviously has the speed to run outside, so we just feel like he has that toughness and versatility.”
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