The 2025 NFL Draft is still rife with infinite possibilities. Apart from Cam Ward going to the Tennessee Titans, which seems increasingly likely by the day, the rest of the draft could still shake out in a variety of ways. This is one of the harder draft classes to predict.
Then again, it’s always an inexact science. Six quarterbacks were taken in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. This year, there is a possibility that only one signal-caller hears his name called on Day 1.
With all the uncertainty and drama, is there a name that could make a surprising jump on April 24 at Lambeau Field?
TreVeyon Henderson Could Be Round 1 Surprise, Predicts NFL Analyst
TreVeyon Henderson put together a remarkable career at Ohio State. He rushed for 3,761 yards and 42 touchdowns in 47 games, adding six receiving scores over four years, then brought home a national championship for the Buckeyes in 2024.
Noted for his reliable hands as a pass-catcher out of the backfield, plus a willingness to block in pass protection, Henderson appears to be the complete package. NFL Media’s Lance Zierlein scouted him as a potential three-down option in the NFL.
“He might be the best pass-protecting running back in this draft and is more than capable as a pass-catcher,” wrote Zierlein. “Henderson isn’t Jahmyr Gibbs, but he can operate in a similar role for teams looking to add a more dynamic player to their running back room.”
There has been a lot of talk about TreVeyon Henderson going inside the top 20 of the NFL Draft this week.
But NFL Draft experts are not ranking him there at all.
No. 49 on the consensus board and he is RB4.
— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) April 11, 2025
More Comparisons to Detroit’s Jahmyr Gibbs
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated thinks Henderson could be the mystery man who takes a draft-day jump into the first round. The running back position is ripe with depth, headlined by Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty and North Carolina’s Omarion Hamption, but it wouldn’t be a complete shock to see a guy like Henderson move up the board.
“I don’t want to sound like an Ohio State homer, but TreVeyon Henderson is the one name that comes to mind,” Breer said. “He’s pristine from a character perspective. He is an incredibly well-rounded back — go look at his pass-protection reps for evidence of that — and he’ll remind a lot of folks of Jahmyr Gibbs.”
Henderson’s effectiveness as a runner (7.1 yards per carry in 2024; 6.4 for his college career), alongside explosiveness through the air (over 11.1 yards per reception), makes him a versatile target for any NFL team.
Breer said: “Given the makeup of this draft class, and some of the weaknesses at receiver, I could certainly see where some playoff team would look at Henderson and see a guy who could juice an offense in a way other guys available at that point of this particular draft can’t.”