Former Patriots Champion Drops Monster Take on Rookie Weapon

The New England Patriots have certainly had a whole lot of versatile running backs come through their doors over the years, and perhaps one of the most effective ones from a pass-catching perspective has been James White.

White played for the Patriots from 2014 through 2021, scarcely playing during New England's title run in 2014-15 but helping the team win two Super Bowl championships during the 2016-17 and 2018-19 campaigns.

During that time, the 33-year-old hauled in a grand total of 387 receptions and was actually better utilized as a receiver rather than a rusher.

Well, the Pats now have another halfback in the fold who can do a little bit of everything in second-round draft pick TreVeyon Henderson, and White raved about the Ohio State product during a recent appearance on the Next Pats Podcast.

"This is a home run pick, in my opinion," White said. "When the dude was healthy throughout his career, all I could think is explosive plays. Checkdowns, running plays, he could take the ball 50-60 yards in a split-second. So I think this is great. ... I could count on my two hands the amount of times that I've seen him create explosive plays just last year, on screen plays or run plays, in big games, big-time moments where the team really needs him most."

Henderson racked up 1,016 yards and 10 touchdowns while averaging 7.1 yards per carry this past season, also catching 27 passes for 284 yards and a score en route to helping Ohio State win a national championship.

The 22-year-old is also terrific in pass protection, making him an incredibly valuable commodity for any team to have in its backfield.

Unlike White, though, Henderson also possesses tremendous potential as a pure runner, so we'll see if he can exceed what White accomplished in a Patriots uniform.