Former New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski believes rookie TreVeyon Henderson could overtake Rhamondre Stevenson as the starting running back on Day 1.
Henderson was drafted with the 38th overall pick in the second round of the 2025 NFL draft. The explosive rookie running back recorded 144 carries for 1,016 yards and 10 touchdowns, while averaging 7.1 yards per carry in his final year at Ohio State.
Henderson is a potential home run rusher with the ball in his hands with elite upside as a receiver. He’s also one of the best pass-protecting backs to ever come out of college. That could set the scene for an interesting training camp battle with Stevenson, who has struggled over the last two seasons.
“I think he can walk right into the Patriots’ organization and possibly be their starting running back from day one,” Gronkowski said on the “Dudes on Dudes” podcast, as transcribed by Boston.com’s Conor Ryan. “And what I really like about this guy is that he’s going to make Drake feel really, really comfortable in the pocket.
“Not just because he’s going to get the run game going, but because he’s one of the best pass protecting backs to come out of college football in some time.”
The Patriots need additional impact playmakers on the offensive side of football, and Henderson can certainly be one of those guys.
But will he be the No. 1 or No. 2 guy in the offensive backfield? An epic competition could be brewing between Henderson and Stevenson later this summer at training camp.