3 Surprise Rookies Who Could Make Patriots' 53-Man Roster

3. DeShaun Fenwick, RB

With Ezekiel Elliott returning to the Dallas Cowboys, the Patriots brought in veteran running back Antonio Gibson to split backfield duties with Rhamondre Stevenson. With the duo having the top RB depth chart spots looked in, DeShaun Fenwick is left to compete with JaMycal Hasty, Kevin Harris, and Terrell Jennings for the RB3 job.

Of the remaining quartet, I like the ex-Oregon State rusher's odds of emerging victorious.

For starters, Fenwick — who stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 223 pounds — was a solid producer across his six seasons between Oregon State and South Carolina. Although he never posted eye-popping numbers, he still averaged 5.3 rushing yards on 385 carries, racking up a total of 2,039 ground yards with 18 touchdowns.

Fenwick's competition also isn't that imposing, if we're being honest.

Hasty has seen just 101 carries across four seasons and spent most of the 2023 campaign on the sidelines. Harris is only averaging 3.4 rushing yards on his first 34 carries and tends to spend a lot of time on the practice squad. Fellow undrafted RB Terrell Jennings had a solid four-year run with Florida A&M, however, he doesn't have that same upside as Fenwick.

Needless to say, it's going to be interesting to monitor the RB competition this summer. If Fenwick can string together some solid training camp and preseason showings, he might be a big part of the Patriots' offense come September.

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