Patriots Draft Preview 2025: Running backs
Our NFL Draft Positional Preview series continues with the running back position. It’s a position of need for the Patriots this offseason – we just don’t know exactly to what extent.
The Patriots definitely need to add at least depth at the position. Rhamondre Stevenson returns at the top of the depth chart with Antonio Gibson likely the spell back. However the team only has one other running back – 2024 UDFA Terrell Jennings – on the roster. At the very least, the team should be looking for a back to add depth and push Jennings for the third spot.
However, this is coming off of a season when Stevenson had a career-high seven fumbles. Plus Stevenson and Gibson were both brought in by previous coaching staffs and front offices, and the current staff may want to go in another direction. That would mean bringing in a player to push Stevenson and Gibson for significant roles in the offense.
Either way, it’s a good year to need a running back. This year’s running back class is widely viewed as one of the best and deepest the league has seen in recent memory. How will the Patriots take advantage?
Let’s run through this class, from the players to know at the top of the draft to other potential Patriots fits later on…
Top of the class
This running back class is highlighted by Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty. Jeanty is coming off of a historic season for the Broncos, having rushed for 2,061 yards and 29 touchdowns in 14 games.
That workload, while impressive, is also the biggest question about Jeanty’s game. He’s had 750 carries over the last three years, which would rank fifth in the NFL during that span. Despite having just turned 21 in December, he has more mileage than most running backs who come through the draft.
Beyond that though, Jeanty checks the boxes teams will be looking for. His carrying trait is his contact balance and ability to break tackles, rarely letting the first defender bring him down and creating a lot of hidden yardage. His 152 forced missed tackles in 2024 led the nation, by 49. He also has the speed to pull away when he does get into the open field. Especially in a copycat league after the show Saquon Barkley put in last year, Jeanty should have plenty of interest and wind up being a top-10 pick.
The real question is will any other backs go in the first round/top 40 along with Jeanty? If any player is going to do so it would probably be Omarion Hampton from UNC. Hampton has been a fast riser in a strong running back class, and may have solidified his place as the second running back off the board in this NFL Draft with a strong performance at the NFL Combine. While reuniting Drake Maye with his college running back might be an attractive option for the Patriots, Hampton will likely go before the team should realistically be drafting at the position – and may simply go before their second scheduled pick.
Day 2 talent
Even if Hampton goes in the first round there is still plenty of running back talent available on Day 2 in this loaded draft class. The real question is which order these players will go in, as they all grade out similarly.
When talking about the next tier of running backs we have to start with the Ohio State duo of Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson. We’ll start with Judkins, who is built like a true power back at 6-foot, 221 pounds but also plays with great quickness and patience. Judkins enters the draft as a true junior and ran for at least 1,000 yards in all three of his college seasons – two at Ole Miss before transferring to Ohio State last year.
Henderson has a very impressive resume in his own right. He’s a four-year starter for Ohio State after joining the team as the No. 1 ranked running back in his recruiting class. At 5-foot-10, 202 pounds Henderson does a great job of finding space in the defense then has the speed to pull away once he gets into the open field. He’s also a capable receiver who can be a factor in the passing game. Plus, evaluators rave about his leadership (he was a team captain in 2024).
It may have been because they had to share the workload, but neither Judkins nor Henderson was first-team All-Big Ten in 2024. That honor went to Kaleb Johnson, another projectetd Day 2 pick. Johnson is built and plays like a true workhorse back at 6-foot-1, 224 pounds. His 4.42 yards after contact per carry were the second most among qualifying running backs in this draft last year, only behind Jeanty. At the same time Johnson is shiftier than most players his size.
Also projected to go in this range is the SEC’s leading rusher, Dylan Sampson from Tennessee. Sampson was heavily used in the Vols’ wide spread offense the last two years, giving him plenty of chances to showcase how dangerous he can be when in the open field. His vision and elusiveness stand out, he just needs to improve his ball security.
Finally in this range we have one of the latest and fastest risers in this draft. Over the course of this year’s Peach Bowl, Arizona State’s Cam Skattebo went from relative unknown to one of the most talked about players in this draft. At 5-foot-9, 219 pounds with outstanding contact balance, Skattebo is rarely brought down by the first defender he faces. Skattebo forced 103 missed tackles last year, second in the nation only to Jeanty.
Between his ability to both bounce off of and run away from defenders he adds a ton of hidden yardage, and on top of that can also be a factor in the passing game (he caught 45 passes for 605 yards last year). Skattebo is an older prospect (he’ll be a 23-year-old rookie) and a ‘late-breakout player’ after starting his career at FCS Sacramento State, but he’s a bruising runner and intense competitor that should go in the top 100.
Early Day 3
Moving on to Day 3, we’re now talking more about players that would be supplementing the Patriots’ depth chart rather than pushing the starters. Still, there’s plenty of talent in this range – in an average draft, some of these backs would still be going in the top 100.
At this point, it’s more about stylistic fit when talking about the Patriots. Do they want a player similar to what they already have in the backfield, or somebody that adds a new dynamic?
Most of the backs projected to go earlier on Day 3 are bruiser-like backs. That group includes Ollie Gordon from Ohio State, Devin Neal from Kansas, D.J. Giddens from Kansas State, R.J. Harvey from UCF, Jarquez Hunter from Auburn, Kyle Monangi from Rutgers and Damien Martinez from Miami.
Gordon is the most intriguing of this group – he had a dominant season in 2023 leading the nation with 1,732 rushing yards, but then took a significant step back in 2024 with his production being cut nearly in half. Oklahoma State’s offense dropped off with him, so it will be up to evaluators to look at both years and decide if he’s the reason things got worse, or was pulled down by the situation. Gordon had a solid Senior Bowl but didn’t test well at the Combine.
If the Patriots want more of a home-run threat, there are options as well. The top player in this range from that group is Bhayshul Tuten from Virginia Tech. Tuten does a good job making defenders miss in the hole, and has track speed to create big runs. However, ball security has been an issue for him with nine fumbles over the last two years.
Then there’s the possibility of the Patriots going back to having a true receiving back on the roster – something that they went away from when Josh McDaniels left after the 2021 season. Those kinds of players can certainly be found in this range – James White was the 130th overall pick in 2014.
A similar player projected in a similar (or slightly later) range in the draft this year is Brashard Smith from SMU. A converted wide receiver, he’ll need to bulk up a bit (currently 5-foot-10, 194 pounds) to play the position in the NFL but he brings a wideouts approach to the position in terms of hands and route running and can make defenders miss with the ball in his hands off both catches and carries.
Late Day 3
Moving on to the later parts of the draft, there is still significant talent. Just like in every other phase of the draft, most of these players would likely go above where they’ll ultimately be selected in a normal year.
This is where there’s more of those pass-catching backs. LeQuint Allen from Syracuse and Jo’Quavious ‘Woody’ Marks – who the Patriots met with at his pro day – are two of the best pass catching backs in this class.
There are also some more well-rounded backs. Donovan Edwards might have the highest upside of any player in this range. However, after his breakout year in 2022 he failed to reach similar levels of production in either of the following two years, knocking down his draft stock. Marcus Yarns from Delaware could also provide depth in both running back spots.
In terms of power backs, Raheim Sanders is the top player in this range. Sanders runs with purpose and impressed at the Combine running a 4.46 second 40 at 6-foot, 217 pounds.
UDFAs
In a draft this deep at one position, there are bound to be some hits on the UDFA market. If the Patriots are looking for that early-down back, Phil Mafah from Clemson is a player to watch. If they’re looking for a pass-catcher, converted wide receiver Mario Anderson of Memphis should be an option.
