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It has been said a million times, but the crop of running backs in the 2025 NFL Draft is phenomenal. There will be players taken on day three that will be starters or contributors for years in the NFL. It will be interesting to see where they go because of how deep the class is. The Cleveland Browns currently have Jerome Ford as the lead back on the roster and could look to double dip in this year's class and bring in two young and talented running backs.
Ohio State's TreVeyon Henderson is one of the more electrifying runners in this year's class. As it was said on the broadcast during the playoff game against Texas, he has a chance to score from anywhere on the field in the blink of an eye. He's the kind of homerun threat that forces a defense to respect him no matter the down or distance and helps to take pressure off of his quarterback.
Henderson played his high school football for Hopewell High School in Virginia, where he was also a great sprinter. He was a five-star recruit coming out of school and had a ton of offers from several major programs before going to Columbus to play for the Buckeyes. He was the Gatorade Virginia Player of the Year in 2019 and was impactful immediately at Ohio State during his freshman season.
Measurements and Testing:
5'10-⅛", 202 lbs, 30-¾" Arms, and 76-⅛" Wingspan. 40-yard dash time: 4.43 seconds with a 1.52 10-yard split. 38-½" Vertical and 128" Broad Jump. Relative Athletic Score: 8.87
TreVeyon Henderson By the Numbers:
2021: 183 carries for 1,248 yards with 15 rushing touchdowns. He also had 27 receptions for 312 yards and four receiving touchdowns.
2022: 107 carries for 571 yards and six rushing touchdowns. He added 28 receiving yards on four receptions and one receiving touchdown.
2023: 156 carries for 926 yards and 11 rushing touchdowns. He also had 229 receiving yards on 19 receptions.
2024: 144 carries for 1,016 yards and 10 rushing touchdowns. He added 27 receptions for 284 yards and one receiving touchdown.
Strengths:
Explosive home run threat
Great Vision and Patience
Good pass protector
As I said in the introduction, TreVeyon Henderson is a threat to take it the distance from anywhere on the field. Henderson had 21 carries that were for 15 or more yards, which was 15th best in the nation, while only having 144 total carries and splitting time with Quinshon Judkins in the backfield for the champion Buckeyes. If you give him open space, he is going to kick it into another gear and run away from the defense.
One of my favorite plays from him was a long touchdown run in the second Oregon game. He was in the open field, and you could see him look to the left to see if anyone was close. He sees a defender with a good angle, and then you see him, already 20-plus yards downfield, find another level of speed to ensure he outruns him for the touchdown. Henderson has great vision, and he understands that, with excellent patience, he allows his blocks to set up before him and then explodes through the hole, maximizing every carry.
One of his biggest improvements this season was as a pass protector and even as a lead blocker in two backsets. He might be a bit smaller, but he is not afraid of putting a hit on blitzing linebackers or defensive linemen. He is a receiving threat, so being able to pass protect allows him to be on the field consistently on third down without giving away whether it is a run or a pass. Henderson is the kind of player you love to have on your team; he has no ego and is just willing to do whatever is needed of him to help his team win.
Weaknesses:
Injury History
Workload Concerns
Size
Henderson struggled to stay healthy after his freshman year before this past season with the Buckeyes. The injury history and workload concerns that I have for him at the next level go hand in hand. He struggled to stay healthy and effective when asked to be the workhorse and lead the charge. There were times he was on the field but lost his effectiveness.
This year, Henderson looked phenomenal as a complementary back, and history shows that might be the role he should have in the NFL. When he gets around 10-13 touches a game, he stays healthy and is able to create big plays routinely. That will limit his value in the draft, which could mean he will fall a bit, and a team will get a dynamic playmaker later on day two.
Henderson is smaller, which limits his effectiveness in short-yardage situations, even though he has enough strength to be an effective blocker. You aren't drafting him to be a 30-touch-a-game guy. You want him to be the 1b in your running back room, and if that is the role you have for him, he will do it well and help make your offense more dynamic.