Patriots
Saban said TreVeyon Henderson “might make as big of an impact” as anyone drafted in the first two rounds.
The Patriots continued their theme of helping out Drake Maye in Day 2 of the 2025 NFL Draft, selecting three more players on offense in Rounds 2 and 3.
New England took Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson with its second-round pick before adding Washington State wide receiver Kyle Williams and Georgia center Jared Wilson in the third round on Friday. Those moves were widely praised by draft experts, with ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. and NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah each listing the Patriots as a top winner through the first two days of the draft.
“I really liked what the New England Patriots did,” Kiper said on “SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt.” “You have a franchise quarterback in Drake Maye. What do you do? You try to help him out, try to get him to that level as quick as you can. … You’ve got a Rhamondre Stevenson, now you get TreVeyon Henderson, who’s a touchdown waiting to happen. He catches the ball exceptionally out of the backfield. He’ll be an outstanding blocker as well.
“Then, you go get a Kyle Williams, a dynamic, playmaking receiver who was excellent at Washington State. Cam Ward left [Washington State] and [Williams] had more production. Then, you go to Jared Wilson. He became a really good player and an outstanding athlete. He ran in the 4.8 [range] at 305 pounds, but he needs more work and experience. The talent is in abundance.”
The Patriots’ selections of Henderson, Williams, and Wilson came after they took LSU offensive tackle Will Campbell with the fourth overall pick on Thursday. Jeremiah was a fan of that pick, but he liked what New England did on Day 2 even more.
“I love what the New England Patriots have done,” Jeremiah said at the end of NFL Network’s broadcast of Day 2 of the draft. “I thought it was going to be a fascinating storyline to see the quarterbacks picked last year, what their teams would do this year to help these young guys. Man, Eliot Wolf, hats off to you, with the New England Patriots, Mike Vrabel, and company, they’ve done a lot to help Drake Maye.
“It’s been a good weekend, specifically a good night tonight, for Drake Maye and the New England Patriots.”
The Patriots’ selection of Henderson really seemed to draw the most rave reviews. Henderson, when healthy, was highly productive over his four seasons at Ohio State. He rushed for 3,761 yards on 6.4 yards per carry over 47 games, with 1,016 of those yards coming last season as he led the Big Ten in yards per carry (7.1).
While Henderson showed high upside as a runner during his days in Columbus, his ability to contribute in the passing game really seemed to wow talent evaluators. Former Alabama coach Nick Saban was among that group.
“I think this guy’s a home run hitter. He’s a great route runner. This guy, to me, is going to be a great third-down back,” Saban said on ABC’s broadcast of the NFL Draft. “Nobody is going to be able to cover this guy when he goes out for a pass. When you find a guy who’s tough to cover and can block like that, that makes a phenomenal third-down back.
“This guy might make as big of an impact on any team as anybody that’s been picked so far because of the way you can use him. I really think this guy is special.”
Jeremiah compared Henderson to former Pro Bowl running back Clinton Portis due to his “elite” pass-protection ability to go with his tendency to turn small plays into big ones.
“You can get him out as a route runner,” Jeremiah said. “But this is the good stuff, this is the put your feet up on the desk and enjoy watching him in pass protection. When you watch the New England Patriots with Mike Vrabel and Josh McDaniels, it’s like going back in time with Kevin Faulk, Danny Woodhead, and James White. They’ve always had running backs with value in the pass game.
“My favorite thing that I’ve seen in this draft is the pass protection tape for TreVeyon Henderson. There’s nothing like it,” Jeremiah added. “He’s one of the best pass-protecting running backs I’ve ever evaluated.”
There’s no quantifiable way to show Henderson’s pass protection ability beyond the film, but he did make a good number of plays in the receiving game at Ohio State. He had 77 receptions for 853 yards and six touchdowns over his Buckeye career, memorably taking a screen pass the distance in Ohio State’s College Football Playoff semifinal win over Texas this past season.
But the greater receiver threat the Patriots took on Friday was Williams, who impressed Jeremiah throughout the draft process.
“I thought his releases off the line of scrimmage were the best of the wide receivers [at the Senior Bowl],” Jeremiah said. “You can tell by his tape. He’s someone who can win early and that speed plays. It shows up. It’s legitimate. He plays faster than a 4.4 [40] flat. He’s an explosive player.”
Not many college receivers were better at making big plays than Williams this past season. He had 70 receptions for 1,198 yards and 14 touchdowns, with his 17.1 yards per reception being tied for 17th among receivers who had at least 75 targets. Kiper called Williams “one of the more underpublicized stars in college football” because of that.
“The kid can fly,” Kiper said. “He’s outstanding with the ball in his hands after the catch. He can go deep. He can beat you in the middle of the field. He’s a really good route runner. This kid is electrifying. I really love Kyle Williams.
“This kid can go in a blink. He’s fast. He’s versatile. He’s not a one-trick pony. He’s not just a deep threat. He’ll do the dirty work. He’ll block. He’ll go into traffic and make tough catches. I love Kyle Williams, one of the more underrated wide receivers in this draft.”
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