TreVeyon Henderson’s rookie season featured impressive production in a complementary role, and he’s positioned for even more impact with added support in 2026.
The New England Patriots relied on rookies to play significant roles en route to a Super Bowl LX appearance in 2025. The team finished the regular season with the third-most snaps taken by first-year players, and those same contributors will be expected to take another step in their development heading into 2026.
Our New England Patriots’ 2026 “Year Two Leap Candidates” series continues today — and we’ll be returning to the offensive side of the ball with a trip into the backfield.
Year Two Leap Candidate: RB TreVeyon Henderson
Round 2, No. 38 Overall in 2025 NFL Draft
Nov 9, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; New England Patriots running back Treveyon Henderson (32) runs for a touchdown past Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Josh Hayes (32) during the third quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn ImagesTreVeyon Henderson became a top running back prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft with explosive athleticism (4.43 second 40-yard dash) and home run-hitting ability from anywhere on the field.
The Ohio State product showed flashes of that game-breaking potential during his first year in New England, but mainly served in a complementary role with Rhamondre Stevenson commanding the lion’s share of the reps at running back.
Still, his statistical production was impressive for a player who didn’t maintain a full-time contributor role in the offense consistently throughout the course of the year — and at a position where offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels typically prefers a “redshirt” year for.
Sitting a running back for the majority of their rookie season has become commonplace for McDaniels, as it gives them the opportunity to learn the intricacies of pass protection and patience in a gap-scheme dependent ground game. Both were areas that Henderson struggled to sustain production in during his first season, but that didn’t keep him off the field for long.
In the 2025 regular season, Henderson’s rushing averages looked promising on the surface. He ran for 911 yards on 180 attempts (5.1 yards per carry) and scored nine rushing touchdowns on the ground. He added 35 receptions, 221 receiving yards (6.3 yards per catch), and one touchdown reception.
Henderson’s 1,132 total scrimmage yards and 10 total touchdowns made him just the third rookie in Patriots history to hit both marks, joining Robert Edwards in 1998 and Curtis Martin in 1995 — in a year where he wasn’t supposed to be very involved, and didn’t show terribly great consistency.
His natural athleticism was on display on several occasions, as he accrued 18 rushes of 10+ yards and 10 rushes of 15+ yards. That was especially evident during the month of November, when Henderson served as the primary back for the Patriots while Stevenson was recovering from injury.
Henderson tallied 65 rushing attempts for 330 yards (a 5.1 yards-per-attempt average) and five total touchdowns in November, and was named the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Month. His most memorable explosive plays came in New England’s Week 10 win at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, when he busted off a 55-yard touchdown run in the third quarter and a 69-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
On those 15+ yard “breakaway runs”, Henderson tallied 361 yards in — accounting for 39.6% of his overall rushing yardage on the season. Without those runs included in his per-rush average, his yards-per-carry dipped to just 3.23 yards. He lacked consistency on runs between the tackles, and will need to show improved vision on gap scheme runs to be a more effective back on a down-in, down-out basis.
A positive sign for Henderson’s continued growth, New England invested heavily in the running game this offseason. A Pro Bowl guard enters the mix with Alijah Vera-Tucker sliding in along the interior offensive line, and fullback Reggie Gilliam will serve as a lead blocker on early downs and in short yardage. Tight end Julian Hill was also set to play a major role in improving the rushing attack, but his season-ending injury leaves the Patriots with question marks in that room.
Gilliam may be the biggest difference maker for Henderson. He’ll be tasked with opening holes at the second level of the defense, and his proven track record of success with those assignments is an exciting proposition. He joins the team reigning as PFF’s highest-graded fullback of 2025 across-the-board — ranking first in the NFL in run blocking (75.1), pass blocking (89.6), and overall grade (72.4) among 10 qualifying fullbacks.
Henderson will be a direct beneficiary of the investment New England made in the group around him. With a reliable lead blocker and improved interior offensive line play, Henderson’s ability to bust open explosive runs will be highlighted when tracking behind the fullback between-the-tackles.
With a full offseason to refine those areas — and the added benefit of reinforcements on the surrounding line — Henderson could daylight at a more consistent rate in 2026.
Looking Ahead
In a supplemental role within the Patriots’ offense in 2025, Henderson showed flashes of the game-breaking ability that had him ranked as a consensus top-50 prospect in last year’s draft class. In 2026, he’ll likely shoulder a larger workload — and have the opportunity to play to that home-run hitting status with more regularity.
Do you think Henderson takes another step in his development as a full-time back, or continues to fill a complementary role? Let us know in the comments section below.
Next up, we’ll be venturing out wide to the boundary, taking a closer look at a receiver who has yet to reach his full potential.
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