The New England Patriots will look to improve in several facets after back-to-back 4-13 seasons. The first step in that process came on Friday night when they hosted the Washington Commanders in their preseason opener.
The 48-18 victory isn’t as much about the score as who stood out. In the case of one Patriots rookie, he not only cemented his case for more playing time but made it impossible to keep him on the sidelines once the regular season begins.
TreVeyon Henderson’s Explosiveness Takes Center Stage in Patriots Preseason Opener
The Patriots surprised many when they selected Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson in the second round of April’s draft. But it didn’t take long to show why Mike Vrabel targeted him to be a dynamic piece in the New England backfield. The 22-year-old took the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown and continued to show off his skills the rest of the game.
TreVeyon Henderson goes 100 yards for the TD on the opening kickoff!
— NFL (@NFL) August 8, 2025
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Henderson’s speed was on display as a prospect who ran a 4.43-second time in the 40-yard dash and compiled a 9.45 relative athletic score during the pre-draft process. On his lone carry, he took a toss on the left side and darted up the sideline behind fellow rookie Will Campbell for an 18-yard gain.
The rookie also showed impressive power on the Patriots’ second offensive drive, grabbing a nine-yard reception in the red zone and making Washington safety Tyler Owens miss before lowering a shoulder on fellow safety Percy Butler to finish the play.
It shows why Henderson can be a wild card in a backfield that lacked excitement a year ago. Rhamondre Stevenson was the Patriots’ leading rusher last season with 801 yards and seven touchdowns, but he also fumbled seven times. Antonio Gibson has a similar skill set as a converted wide receiver, but he was a lackluster complement to Stevenson, running for 538 yards and a touchdown while adding 23 receptions for 206 scoreless yards.
Henderson has the ability to dwarf those numbers as a former five-star recruit for the Buckeyes and stood out in training camp practices before Friday’s performance. If he keeps playing like this, it may be hard to keep him off the field and give New England the explosive playmaker they’ve been looking for.