Best fits for Patriots at running back in 2025 NFL Draft

Yahoo

03-04-2025

Best fits for Patriots at running back in 2025 NFL Draft originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Editor's Note: In the lead-up to the 2025 NFL Draft, Phil Perry is identifying the best fits for the Patriots at each position based on the traits that Mike Vrabel and Eliot Wolf value as well as intel from coaches and scouts.
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We've already hit on offensive tackles and tight ends. Next up: running backs.
Mike Vrabel didn't beat around the bush. When asked about potentially adding to his running back room during this week's annual league meeting, he noted that was a possibility in the draft. The Patriots already have Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson on the roster, but Vrabel suggested they could bring aboard another.
'I think so,' he said. 'Having a good young runner is something that potentially we would like to do. I thought the guys coming back, I think Rhamondre and Gibby obviously were a good one-two punch.
'People are going to talk about Rhamondre and putting the ball on the ground, and he knows that, but we'll help him there…We'll look to add good young players on offense and skill players.'
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Patriots owner Robert Kraft only further supported the idea of the Patriots drafting a runner when he told reporters in Palm Beach that he, as a fan, would like to see the team add a 'speed back.'
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If the Patriots are looking for young players at that position, what will they be looking for?
When Vrabel was in Tennessee, the Titans made investments in smaller 'sub' backs like Tajae Spears and Darrynton Evans. They also drafted a bigger back in Hassan Haskins to slot in behind the imposing All-Pro Derrick Henry.
Patriots executive president of player personnel Eliot Wolf may have some traits he's interested in as well when it comes to picking players at that position. Teams run by executives who'd be considered part of the Ron Wolf tree seemed to place real value on size. Made sense for the Packers, who wanted punishing runners who could trample defenders through the cold and snow on their way to the end zone. In New England, the same would be true.
As we lay out our 'Best Fits,' we'll start with some smaller options to complement Stevenson (6-feet, 227 pounds) and Gibson (6-feet, 228 pounds).
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To fit with what the Titans seemed to be interested in under Vrabel, we'll focus on potential receivers out of the backfield with explosive athleticism and enough size (200 pounds and up). The Wolf tree also invested in players of that ilk, like Aaron Jones, who at 5-foot-9 weighed 208 pounds and had jumps of 37.5 inches (vertical) and 10-foot-7 (broad).
We'll also lay out some 'big back' options since 15 of the 24 (62.5 percent) running backs we studied — those who were drafted by Tennessee under Vrabel or by members of the Wolf tree — weighed 216 pounds or more. Seventeen of the 24 (71 percent) ran sub-4.6-second 40-yard dash and 15 had broad jumps of 9-foot-11 or more.
Let's get to the names….
Sub backs
TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State
The 5-foot-10, 202-pounder is a chunk-gain merchant who has the ability to high-step into the end zone from anywhere on the field. He started for four years and reeled in 77 catches, but what makes him an especially intriguing option as a passing-down back is the fact that he has no fear in pass protection. He has plays on his resume where he jars oncoming defenders and plants them in the turf like an angry offensive lineman. His 4.43-second 40, 38.5-inch vertical and 10-foot-8 broad all suggest he's more than athletic enough for what the Patriots might like.
Bhayshul Tuten, Virginia Tech
If Kraft wants a 'speed back,' there's no one in this class who fits that description better. Tuten clocked a blazing 4.32-second 40 time at this year's combine to go along with massive jumps of 40.5 inches in the vertical and 10-foot-10 in the broad. At 5-foot-9, 206 pounds he looks like a pure receiving back, but he has the toughness to handle more. He grinds out extra yards better than most in this class and has a career yards-after-contact figure (4.08) that is second only to Boise State's Ashton Jeanty.
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One more reason why Vrabel might like him? Tuten returned two kicks for touchdowns as a collegian, showing a willingness to use his field-flipping ability on special teams.
Jaydon Blue, Texas
Like Tuten, Blue is a tad undersized (5-foot-9, 196 pounds). But like Tuten, Blue's speed is such that he deserves a mention here. He recorded a 4.37-second 40 and could end up getting drafted at some point on Day 2 due to his big-play potential. He caught 56 passes in his career for 503 yards and seven touchdowns to go along with 1,61 yards rushing on 214 attempts (5.4 yards per carry).
Also like Tuten, he's chipped in on special teams during his collegiate career, returning three for an average of 26.7 yards two seasons ago.
RJ Harvey, UCF
Josh McDaniels has worked with former-quarterbacks-turned-skill-position-players in the past, including Jakobi Meyers and Julian Edelman. Could Harvey be the next?
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He went to the University of Virginia as a reserve quarterback before transferring and changing positions. Turned out to be a good idea. The 5-foot-8, 205-pounder was named a third-team AP All-American last season and set a school record at UCF with 48 total touchdowns. His 4.40-second 40 and 38-inch vertical made his combine performance one of the best of all the running backs in Indy.
Donovan Edwards, Michigan
The first of two Michigan backs to make this list, Edwards runs with impressive grit despite having the frame of a passing-game back (5-foot-11, 205 pounds). Per Pro Football Focus, no back in this class averaged more yards per carry against stacked boxes (eight defenders or more).
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A captain for the Wolverines last year, Edwards caught 48 passes over the last two seasons and has the toughness to hang in as a pass protector. His 4.44-second 40 and 38.5-inch vertical indicate he still has the explosive traits that helped him rush for 104 yards and two scores on just six carries in his team's National Championship win over Washington two seasons ago.
DJ Giddens, Kansas State
Pass protection might be an issue for Giddens, but if the Patriots feel as though that can be taught, he has traits that would have to make them interested. He clocked a 4.47 at 6-feet, 212 pounds to go along with a 39.5-inch vertical and 10-foot-10 broad. He averaged a whopping 6.6 yards per carry last season and caught 21 passes for 258 yards.
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His combination of size, speed and open-field tackle avoidance make him a possibility for any team looking for a player who can chip in on all three downs at the position.
Big backs
Ashton Jeanty, Boise State
Jeanty is a little bit of a tweener for this particular exercise because he's not a massive human being. But he measured in at 5-foot-9 and 213 pounds — just under the 216-pound threshold of most Wolf-tree 'big backs' — and he runs like a tank. He ran for 2,062 yards last season, including a ridiculous 1,512 yards after contact.
Jeanty's skill set goes well beyond his next-level contact balance. He can do it all, catching 80 passes in his 40 career games for 862 yards and six touchdowns, and making him a fit for Vrabel's locker room is that he's considered a high-level football character addition for any team.
Omarion Hampton, UNC
Perhaps the most powerful back in the class, Hampton has the size (6-feet, 221 pounds) and athleticism (4.46-second 40, 10-foot-10 broad) to break through the line of scrimmage and rip off chunk gains on a regular basis. NFL Media's Lance Zierlein actually compares Hampton to Stevenson as a 'high-volume battering ram.'
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Hampton's vision can get him into trouble, but he's a capable receiver and his height-weight-speed combination is likely to get him drafted in the first or second round.
Quinshon Judkins, Ohio State
The second Buckeye on this list, Judkins is the one with more pop in his pads. The 6-foot, 221-pound grinder has a knack for churning out yards that shouldn't be there. Additionally, he tested as one of the position's most explosive athletes at this year's combine (4.48-second 40, 11-foot broad).
His toughness and short-yardage-conversion capabilities make him an interesting option for the Ohio State product currently sitting in the head coach's chair in Foxboro.
Cam Skattebo, Arizona State
If you're looking for a big back (5-foot-9, 219 pounds) who gets every last inch of every carry, Skattebo is your guy. He may not last all that long as a pro with his running style, but that doesn't make his physical approach any less impressive.
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The former Sacramento State back racked up 69 catches for 891 yards and four touchdowns in two seasons at Arizona State. He also took 50 snaps at quarterback as he helped put the Sun Devils on his back and carry them to the College Football Playoff. He even has eight punts to his name. For a fan of versatility like Vrabel, Skattebo feels like a fit in New England.
Damien Martinez, Miami
Speaking of battering rams… Martinez (6-feet, 217 pounds) was a menace for opposing defenses last season. The Oregon State transfer ran for 1,185 yards and nine touchdowns. He also forced 57 missed tackles — stepping through tackles, running through tackles, juking tackles with a nifty 'dead leg' move in open space — on his way to being one of Miami's most reliable weapons.
Kaleb Johnson, Iowa
The 6-foot-1, 224-pounder certainly has the frame to hold up on early-down carries as a pro. The question is if he has the juice to be a bellcow type at the next level.
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For our purposes, his 4.57-second 40 is good enough to be mentioned here. More importantly, he'll fall forward for extra yardage, and he does just enough as a receiver to make him an option in the passing game. He's not going to electrify Gillette Stadium on a regular basis, but he has a nose for the end zone, having scored a school record 23 touchdowns last season to go with his 1,537 yards rushing and 188 yards receiving.
Ollie Gordon, Oklahoma State
Gordon checked in at the combine weighing 226 pounds at 6-foot-1, but he was 233 at the Senior Bowl just before going to Indy. He's the definition of a big back. He carried 537 times for almost 3,000 yards over his career, scoring 36 touchdowns. He also caught 80 passes, suggesting he could be used on all three downs in Foxboro.
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He was arrested last summer on suspicion of DUI so Vrabel would have to feel comfortable with Gordon's decision-making off the field, but he was the Doak Walker Award-winner two seasons ago (best running back in college football) and a First-Team All-American. If the Patriots want to bet on his talent, they could end up with a mid-round steal.
Kalel Mullings, Michigan
Mullings checks in at almost 6-foot-2 and 226 pounds, making the former Wolverines linebacker one of the biggest backs in the draft, and he didn't fumble on 185 attempts last year. From West Roxbury and Milton Academy, joining the Patriots would be a homecoming of sorts for Mullings, whose rugged style was apparent when he bounced off contact to essentially clinch The Game over Ohio State last season.
Raheim Sanders, South Carolina
Durability could be a concern with Sanders, whose 2023 was ended prematurely due to knee and shoulder issues. But the back nicknamed 'Rocket' bounced back in 2024 after transferring from Arkansas. He was a second-team All-SEC player and a Comeback Player of the Year, picking up 881 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns.
A hard-charging downhill runner, Sanders (6-feet, 217 pounds) would likely be an upside play on Day 3.