The New England Patriots didn’t have the weapons last season to help Drake Maye flourish into the quarterback they hope he can become. Still, Maye put together a solid rookie campaign with the hand he was dealt and earned a Pro Bowl nod after a few quarterbacks dropped out. This offseason, the Patriots prioritized giving Maye more talent to help him take a leap in Year 2.
New England drafted Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson to help fix the offensive struggles that plagued them last season. One analyst thinks Henderson could be a key piece and named him the most exciting Patriots’ rookie to watch in New England’s minicamp.
TreVeyon Henderson Named Top Rookie To Watch in Patriots’ Minicamp
The Patriots put together one of the strongest, most complete classes in the entire 2025 NFL Draft, and they did it with almost unmatched consistency across the three-day event. It started with Will Campbell: A no-brainer pick at No. 4 overall as a near blue-chip tackle. It continued with Henderson, and later in round three, the Patriots added a high-level separator, RAC, and vertical threat for Maye in Kyle Williams before bringing in a potential long-term starter at center in Jared Wilson.
On Day 3, the value continued to roll in. Craig Woodson has a well-rounded two-phase ability and starter traits. Joshua Farmer is an astronomical talent on the interior. Bradyn Swinson was a top-50 talent at EDGE off film alone, and the Patriots got him in Round 5. Later, they added another versatile weapon in Brashard Smith.
However, according to PFSN’s Brandon Austin, Henderson will be the top rookie to watch in the Patriots’ minicamp. Austin acknowledged that while a running back wasn’t an immediate need for New England, Henderson immediately raises the floor of the Patriots’ backfield.
“New England didn’t get nearly as much production from the running back position as it hoped last season,” Austin wrote. “While the Patriots finished 13th in yards per carry (4.4), they ranked 25th in rushing touchdowns (11) and 3rd-down rush conversion rate (47.7%). The group also lost nine fumbles, which was the most by any team in 2024.
“With Antonio Gibson on a short-term deal and Rhamondre Stevenson struggling with inconsistency at times, Henderson’s arrival could stabilize this unit. The Ohio State product is a compact, low-to-the-ground runner with stellar slashing explosiveness, one-cut agility, finishing physicality, and receiving versatility. He’s an NFL-ready pass-catcher out of the backfield, and he also holds his own as a pass blocker. Those traits should earn Henderson early snaps, as the Patriots look to support Drake Maye in his second season.”
I’m all in on TreVeyon Henderson 😱
pic.twitter.com/zMbpnCXnet— SleeperNFL (@SleeperNFL) June 3, 2025
Henderson averaged at least five yards per carry in all four seasons with the Buckeyes. That would’ve been the second-highest average on the Patriots last season behind Maye. He also had three seasons with double-digit rushing touchdowns and posted two 1,000-yard seasons. Henderson is a threat both as a runner and pass catcher, which should help lighten the load on Maye.
The 22-year-old has been “killing it” at the Patriots’ OTA practices, and it will be worth watching to see if he does help improve Maye’s security at the minicamp.
