New England Patriots
Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson headline a group that finished sixth in the NFL in rushing yards per game last season.
Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderon Barry Chin/The Boston Globe
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Welcome to Boston.com’s Patriots position preview series. As we count down the days heading into training camp, we’ll take a look at where the Patriots stand at each position using key stats and observations from spring workouts. You can find our preview on the Patriots’ quarterbacks, wide receivers, and defensive backs here.
The Patriots’ were elite in the passing game last year, but their run game also proved to be a worthy compliment to Drake Maye’s style.
New England has a mix of power and speed at the position, with Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson sharing carries.
Henderson literally hit the ground running last season, taking his first career preseason touch 100 yards into the end zone on the opening kick return against Washington.
After some growing pains during the early part regular-season, he eventually became a finalist for offensive rookie of the year.
After overcoming an early fumbling issue, Stevenson produced a number of explosive plays and picked up tough yardage consistently with his physical style.
New England had a top-ten rushing attack in terms of yards per game last season. Will they crack the the top-five this year? Here’s a look at where they stand heading into training camp.
Players: TreVeyon Henderson, Terrell Jennings, Lan Larrison, Jam Miller, Myles Montgomery, Reggie Gilliam (fullback), Brock Lampe (fullback)
Key Stats:
- The Patriots were sixth in the NFL in rushing yards per game (128.9)
- Henderson’s 5.1 yards per carry set a franchise rookie regular-season record
- Stevenson produced 12 BIG plays (20 yards or more), seven of which were carries and five were catches
- Henderson was held to 76 rushing yards and zero during the entire postseason.
- The Patriots had 16 fumbles, the fourth-most in the league
Strengths: With Stevenson and Henderson at the top of the depth chart, the Patriots have a lot of flexibility as to how they can play the ground game.
Henderson’s speed makes him a threat to break big runs. Stevenson’s all-around game made him a balanced and dependable option. The 6-foot-tall, 227-pound back runs with aggression, but he also has been a threat to catch passes out of the backfield for years now.
Reggie Gilliam, the former Bills fullback whom New England signed during the offseason, should be an upgrade.
Weaknesses: Depth might be an issue. New England went into last season with Antonio Gibson as their third running back, but he went down with an ACL injury. New England cut him during the offseason.
Henderson, Stevenson, and Maye were the only Patriots with more than five carries last season. New England, which drafted Alabama’s Jam Miller in the seventh round, hasn’t done much else to add to the running back room this offseason.
Stevenson’s fumbling issues are a bit of an old story at this point. He had three in the first five games, including two in the loss to the Steelers. But, after the Patriots played the Bills in Week 6, Stevenson went the rest of the year including the postseason without fumbling at all.
Henderson still has to show that his game will translate in the playoffs. He averaged 2.5 yards per carry. He came on strong towards the end of the regular-season, but the postseason was rough for him.
Observations from OTA/Minicamp:
- Both players were regular attendees throughout the spring
- Henderson’s speed could make him a weapon when the Patriots run screens
- Stevenson said he hasn’t changed much in his offseason routine.
2026-27 outlook: The Patriots should enjoy another productive year from their running backs.
All signs point towards Henderson building on the success he had during his rookie year.
Stevenson’s production has been consistent over the years. Hanging onto the football has been his biggest issue recently, but Mike Vrabel’s decision to stick with him appears to have paid off.
It will be interesting to see how Miller fares in training camp. He was a seventh-round pick, but his physical attributes stand out a bit. He’s 5-foot-10, 221-pounds, but he also runs a 4.42 40-yard dash. He’s big, strong, and fast with a compact build, but other aspects of his game such as quickness and blocking ability have been pointed out as weaknesses.
Larrison missed his entire rookie season with a foot injury that was suffered in the preseason, so the Patriots will have a chance to see how he does as well.
Khari A. Thompson
Khari Thompson covers professional sports for Boston.com. Before joining the team in 2022, Khari covered college football for The Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Miss.
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