Ohio State coach shares what Patriots are getting in RB TreVeyon Henderson

In the days leading up to the start of the 2025 NFL Draft, national and local reporters correctly predicted that the New England Patriots would make LSU offensive tackle Will Campbell the fourth pick of the player-selection process because Campbell possesses "the leadership qualities" that first-year New England head coach Mike Vrabel craves. 

Per Nick O'Malley of MassLive, Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson being a "high-character player" also appealed to Vrabel before New England grabbed Henderson at overall selection No. 38. Ohio State co-offensive coordinator Keenan Bailey expanded on O'Malley's point during a recent conversation with Mike Reiss of ESPN. 

"It's hard to talk about Tre without starting with how awesome of a guy he is," Bailey said. "He decided to come back [in 2024] for his senior season, and I don't know if I've ever been around a player who was more coachable going into a final year. ...He came back with such a growth mindset. He asked to be involved in more special teams, which you don't ever really hear a starting running back do. He learned how to run routes better and that showed up. Then he really became a leader."

Of course, it doesn't hurt that a New England team that lacked offensive weapons with rookie quarterback Drake Maye in the lineup this past season picked up an explosive playmaker who averaged 7.1 yards per carry in his final college campaign. According to ESPN stats, New England finished the 2024 season ranked second-to-last in total offensive yards per game (291.9) and 30th with 17.0 points scored per contest. 

"Henderson's ability as a receiver and pass protector offers him a unique opportunity to get onto the field early -- something many rookie running backs don't have," ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller said for a piece published Sunday. Meanwhile, Bailey added that Henderson is "lightning in a bottle" and can "be the fastest player on the field" at any time during a game. 

"His first big play was his freshman year [2021], C.J. Stroud's first career start, and we're playing Minnesota on a Thursday night in the rain," Bailey explained. "...We throw him a little swing pass and he takes it 70 yards for a touchdown. I don't think anyone touched him. Then it's almost like a full circle this past season. The exclamation point on his career was with seven seconds left in the first half against Texas, we're tied in the playoffs, and we throw him a little screen pass and he takes it 75 yards to the house. No one touches him."

Karen Guregian of MassLive mentioned that Henderson "will likely be used as part of a three-headed monster with" fellow running backs Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson. Per Pro Football Reference, Stevenson led the 2024 Patriots with 801 total rushing yards for the season. 

On paper, Henderson seems to have a clear path for becoming New England's first-choice back as soon as this coming fall. It appears adding him to the roster was also part of Vrabel's attempt to shift the culture for a squad that was called "soft" by former head coach Jerod Mayo this past October.