The Patriots selected Henderson in the second round of this year’s draft.
With no full pads or live contact, the offseason workout program is merely an approximation of what the NFL product will look like come training camp and the regular season. That is particularly true in the running game, which effectively cannot be fully incorporated into the preparatory mix until the summer.
Naturally, this means that the New England Patriots’ running back group is less prominently featured at this point in the year. However, that does not mean it won’t be able to still leave a positive impression on coaches, teammates and spectators from the media.
That is exactly what TreVeyon Henderson has been able to do since arriving in New England as the 37th overall selection in this year’s draft. His speed stands out, something that is true both on and off the field: not only is he one of the fastest players on the Patriots’ roster, he also is apparently a quick study when it comes to picking up the playbook.
“He’s certainly fast and brings a speed element to our team. Anytime you can get guys as fast as he is it is beneficial for the whole offensive unit and special teams,” said running backs coach Tony Dews this week before adding that, “in the time I got to spend with him he seemed to pick up concepts fairly quickly.”
Rhamondre Stevenson, the longest-tenured member of the Patriots’ running back room, shared a similar assessment of his young teammate.
“Explosive guy,” Stevenson said. “He’s learning pretty quick, and I’m excited for him.”
A highly-touted player coming out of high school, who at one point was also recruited by then-West Virginia assistant Dews, Henderson took his talents to Ohio State and became one of the most productive running backs in school history. Playing 47 games over four seasons, he gained 4,614 scrimmage yards and scored 48 touchdowns.
Along the way, he showed immense playmaking ability as a runner and receiver — a versatile skillset the Patriots were drawn to in the second round of the draft.
“As assistant coaches, you evaluate the guys they give you to evaluate and you have an opinion on them,” Dews explained. “At the end of the day, we will coach whoever they put in that room, but certainly he was a guy that had done some really good things in college. And he fits some of the needs that we felt like we could address with our running back situation.”
With Henderson as well as undrafted free agent Lan Larison in the mix, the Patriots’ running back group stands at six players deep. The two rookies are joining veterans Stevenson, Antonio Gibson and Trayveon Williams, as well as second-year back Terrell Jennings.
Despite lacking some of the experience of his teammates, the expectation is that Henderson will play a prominent role for the Patriots offense this season. The team itself is optimistic about his outlook, even at this early stage.
“He obviously caught the ball well out of the backfield. He did a really good job, I thought, in pass production,” his position coach said. “With all those things you feel like you’re getting a good prospect, and we have to see how it materializes from there.”