Socci’s View: Hunter Henry is ‘Mr. Reliable’ for the Patriots
About 15 minutes before the Patriots went out to practice on Wednesday of Week 9, Hunter Henry emerged from behind a set of double doors inside the locker room and found teammate Jaheim Bell in need of a hand.
Bell had hit a snag trying to pull the shirttail of his jersey down past his shoulder pads. So Henry stopped, gritted the towel he was carrying between his teeth, put one hand on Bell’s pads and used the other to tug the rookie’s shirttail taut.
Henry’s midweek assist for his fellow tight end was another example of him being in the right place at the right time, just as he almost always seems to be for his quarterbacks on Sundays.
Only three days earlier, he had repeatedly helped his QB’s out of several quandaries in their come-from-behind win over the Jets. He made an 11-yard catch of a 3rd-and-5 throw from Drake Maye to prolong an early touchdown drive. He snagged a 12-yard pass from Jacoby Brissett on 3rd-and-11 to set up a subsequent field goal. And he had another 12-yard grab on 2nd-and-10 from Brissett to ignite the eventual game-winning drive.
Henry showed up again last weekend in Tennessee answering Maye’s need for a 4th-and-2 pickup from the Titans’ 15-yard line with 21 seconds left in regulation by making a 10-yard reception. Without it, Maye never would have been in position to create a wild fourth-quarter finish.
Even then, when Henry wound up in the wrong place for a change, he was in his right mind. As Maye bounced back and forth, sidestepping Titans and teammates alike, Hunter stepped across the back line of the end zone, thus making him an ineligible receiver the rest of the play. Still, he gestured for Maye to disregard him, leading Drake to eventually find Rhamondre Stevenson for the score that helped force overtime.
Unsurprisingly, Maye’s eyes immediately and understandably returned to Henry on New England’s first overtime play, tracking Hunter up the left sideline before uncorking a deep throw in his direction.
That one landed incomplete, an exception among the many times Maye targeted Henry in his first four starts at quarterback. They connected for a touchdown in Houston, eight completions vs. Jacksonville in London, five more vs. New York and another seven at Tennessee.
Overall, Henry leads the Patriots in pass targets (53), receptions (39), receiving yards (414) and first downs receiving (24). His 73.6 percent catch rate is the best among tight ends and receivers who have been targeted more than once. He’s also played more offensive snaps (466) than any other non-linemen.
Of all Henry’s abilities, none are more defining than his availability and reliability.
“I always want to be reliable,” he said after the Oct. 27 win over the Jets. “That’s something that hopefully by the end of my career, that’s one of the number-one things guys can say, that they can rely on me in every situation. Not only just football but rely on me off the field too.”
Certainly, the youngster Bell has counted on him, whether dressing for a practice or preparing for every game.
“I really appreciate Hunter,” Bell said on Thursday, leaning back into his locker stall. “I’ve learned a lot of things from him just sitting in the (tight ends) room noticing some of the small things (he) shares about details.”
Bell, who is quick to also credit Austin Hooper for lending guidance and insights, has reaped the benefits of their influence, coming off his first career catch at Tennessee while experiencing a slight uptick in playing time.
“They both have been in the league for nine years and it’s just like having all that experience, being able to learn from them is great,” Bell says. “When I was in college a lot of coaches always said ‘you got (act like) a pro.’ Just coming in here and learning from these guys and seeing how they move every day, that’s what a pro looks like.”
Offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt has taken notice. Bell, he says, has demonstrated “huge growth” since joining the Pats out of Florida State. The example of Henry and Hooper, he believes, is a reason why.
“Those guys are a big part of that, showing him the way,” Van Pelt said on Thursday. “Being in that room is great for him, (observing) how those guys operate, their routines, how they take care of themselves.”
Henry and Hooper have known each other for years. They were chosen a round apart – Hunter by the Chargers in the second and Austin by the Falcons in the third – in 2016 and have regularly joined their peers in Nashville for summer sessions of so-called ‘Tight End University.’
“Hunter leads the room. He’s one of the best in the (AFC East) division for a reason,” Hooper said recently. “I mean, he’s a veteran, he’s super talented, knowledgeable, can play multiple spots and he’s always in the right spot, winning even if he has bad leverage. He finds a way to get it done and just helps the team however he can. Not just in the passing game, but in pass protection and run game.”
Patriots tight ends coach Bob Bicknell concurs.
“I think if you look throughout the league, tight ends have an interesting position because there are guys that are running down the field making plays and catching the ball, but they don’t block a lick,” Bicknell said in early October. “There’s guys that are just blockers that (teams) don’t even send out in a route. I would say Hunter and Austin Hooper are two of the best combination tight ends in the game. That’s my opinion…I have an outstanding room.”
Henry can play from a three-point stance at the end of the line, stand upright in the slot or align in the backfield as a fullback or H-back. But as valuable as Bicknell finds Hunter’s versatility, what impresses him most is a quality that’s unchanging.
“I’ve known about Hunter for a long time,” Bicknell says. “The thing you learn about him, which I heard, is that he’s probably one of the best human beings I know. He just does everything right.”
Bob Socci is in his 12th season calling play-by-play for the Patriots Radio Network on 98.5 The Sports Hub.
