FOXBOROUGH, Ma. — Patriots rookie TreVeyon Henderson did not have the simplest day on the workplace throughout a joint apply with the Commanders this week.
He had a go from backup quarterback Josh Dobbs go over his head on a check-down. He had one other go from Dobbs bounce off his arms and chest when he went over the center of the sector. Throughout a 7-on-7 drill, Henderson had a step on his protection on a wheel route, and Pats beginning quarterback Drake Maye threw a dime to the again proper pylon that Henderson tracked completely over his shoulder … then dropped it.
And if that wasn’t unhealthy sufficient, Henderson later discovered himself on the backside of a brawl between the 2 groups after Henderson pancaked an unnamed Commanders defender (not Von Miller).
Thankfully, Henderson additionally did a whole lot of good issues. Actually good issues. The sorts of issues he did at Ohio State, and the sorts of issues the Patriots actually need assistance with.
His velocity was considerably higher than another Patriots working again, particularly when it comes to acceleration on runs to the sides or after the catch. His cuts, which have been already on show from practices in opposition to his personal crew, have been evident in opposition to Washington. His route working was good, getting open on a middle-of-field hitch route in pink zone 7-on-7 drills for a landing from Maye. His arms clearly may have been higher, however the buzz of coaching camp has been that Henderson’s confirmed in a position to make a contribution within the passing sport, so a number of drops should not be a serious concern.
“He appears to be a fast learner, and if there’s one thing that occurs in safety, he hardly ever makes the identical mistake twice,” Vrabel crowed about Henderson. “… You see him enjoying with effort when he does not have the ball in his hand, and he is been in a position to do some issues within the run sport and learns rapidly to have the ability to transfer him round in several positions offensively.”
All of it means that Henderson is on a trajectory to assist the Patriots this season, because of his velocity, arms, agility, and a feisty pass-pro mindset will get him on the sector greater than a typical rookie working again would possibly.
The priority is that he will not be New England’s solely working again. It is unquestionably the largest factor holding him again from being one of the vital common rookies in Fantasy drafts.
Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson each rotated in at working again with Henderson — and never simply with the starters. All three backs labored in opposition to the Commanders with the second-string offense, too. And whereas Gibson regarded like his previous self, Stevenson truly ran arduous, took a whole lot of runs between the tackles, held the ball excessive and tight like a working again ought to, and flashed a pleasant mixture of energy and velocity on a number of runs.
“I really feel like all of us may do all of it,” Gibson mentioned with a smile after apply. “We are able to all run the ball, we will all catch, we will all go defend. We have got little issues that we do otherwise, however (we’re) a backfield that may do all of it.”
Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels’ observe report of utilizing a number of RBs is fairly constant. Solely 3 times in his 17 full seasons as a playcaller has a working again averaged 20-plus touches per sport, and solely 10 occasions has a again averaged 15-plus touches. Fantasy level manufacturing is sort of a mirror picture: 5 occasions in 17 years has a working again averaged at the very least 15 PPR factors beneath McDaniels, and solely 10 occasions has a again averaged 13-plus PPR factors.
That is an enormous downside. There’s extra.
New England has an offensive line with two rookies beginning on the left facet and a veteran middle whose sport declined final 12 months and is in want of a bounce-back season. There have been performs the place they appeared overwhelmed in opposition to Washington. And the depth behind your entire offensive line is unproven and thus regarding. That could possibly be to the detriment of all working backs concerned.
By no means thoughts the truth that backs with Henderson’s construct (5-foot-10, 202 kilos) virtually by no means averaged a excessive quantity of touches beneath McDaniels. Knowshon Moreno was arguably the one exception, and even he had almost 20 kilos on Henderson. This could possibly be particularly an issue on carries contained in the 5-yard line; Henderson had seven such carries over his final three years at Ohio State.
And by no means thoughts the truth that Maye is thought for his absurd athleticism and mobility. At one level within the joint apply in opposition to the Commanders, he took in a short-yardage landing along with his legs. That sort of stuff will completely occur in-season.
Nothing from the joint apply, and nothing in McDaniels’ historical past as a playcaller, suggests Henderson will overcome all of these items. True, Stevenson may fumble his approach out of a job, however he is had that downside for years, and he obtained a large contract extension final June. Even when that have been to occur, Gibson could possibly be the one sharing with Henderson.
Henderson is already making some excellent performs, and he most likely will as quickly as Week 1, for the Patriots. It is the amount of them that needs to be on the minds of potential Fantasy drafters.
Anybody presently drafting Henderson anytime earlier than very late Spherical 5 in redraft leagues is taking over some danger. However that is the place it is best to anticipate him to go, if not increased — a number of individuals in each draft will worth him due to his traits with out contemplating any flaws, even when a lot of these flaws are team-related. Whereas a top-50 decide appears approach too wealthy, particularly in non-PPR, something nearer to sixtieth needs to be deemed as truthful and something later is a present.
The story is completely different in Dynasty leagues. Type of. The long-term argument for Henderson is that he winds up being the following Shane Vereen, James White, or Dion Lewis. These guys have been nice in McDaniels’ offense, however solely as soon as did every of them common greater than 14 PPR factors in a season, because of a ridiculous seven-plus targets per sport for every of them throughout their golden years. All three performed a few years within the league. It is robust to take Henderson early in rookie-only drafts if that is the anticipated return, although I suppose it might be a lot simpler for those who anticipate him to have seven targets every week.
For those who assume Henderson can excel on restricted touches, or for those who assume McDaniels will all of a sudden change gears as a playcaller and lean on a sub-215-pound again for the primary time, then think about taking Henderson earlier than consensus. In any other case, perceive that he’ll share reps, simply as he did in opposition to the Commanders in apply, and whereas he does some nice issues, he’ll make some errors too, simply as he did in opposition to the Commanders in apply.
Goal him as near sixtieth total as you’ll be able to.