MORSE: Patriots Weaponized The Offense on Day 2 of the Draft
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Weaponizing the Offense is the buzzword of the draft as the Patriots have made 4 selections, all on Offense. They selected playmakers with juice that can take it to the house whenever they get their hands on the ball. The Patriots made three bold moves to help the Offense by selecting two exciting speedsters at RB and WR and then drafting a solid Center.
Taking TreVeyon Henderson RB from Ohio State was not a bad choice, but not what I would have done at this point in the draft. Henderson was the 4th RB taken in the draft at this point. This is not something in hindsight once I knew that Dylan Sampson and Damien Martinez didn’t get selected yet. I wanted TE Mason Taylor in this spot. The dreaded NY Jets selected Taylor with the next selection, and Eliot Wolf will have to see Taylor twice a year now. Four TE’s were selected between the Patriots picks, three in the 2nd round and the other early in the third before the Patriots pick at #69. There is no TE worth being taken before the 5th round in my opinion. Eliot Wolf has stated that this is a deep class of TE’s. I don’t agree with his assessment. There are a lot of big, slow Wide Receivers that play the TE position. They never do any in-line blocking. There are a couple of blocking TE’s with later round grades, but they can’t run or catch. You might as well draft a DT that played TE in High School (JJ Peuges).
Don’t get me wrong, I am excited to see what Josh McDaniel can do with Henderson in this offense. This also puts Rhamondre Stevenson on notice to put up or ship out!
2 – 38 TreVeyon Henderson RB Ohio State – 5’10” 202-pounds and a 4.42 40-yard dash
Henderson stated in a Video Conference Chat with reports that he had only one Zoom call with Runningbacks coach Tony Dews. No interview at the Combine, no contact with the coaching staff at the Ohio State Pro Day or a 30 visit to Foxboro. He was quite surprised (and elated) to get the call from the Patriots. He didn’t expect the Pats to take him and thought they weren’t interested. Henderson has production and doesn’t fumble. He is an excellent receiver and outstanding pass blocker picking up the blitz.
This is what The Athletic “The Beast” Draft Guide states – A four-year starter at Ohio State, Henderson shared running back duties in offensive coordinator Chip Kelly’s diverse run game (gap/zone, pin-pulls, counters, etc.). After setting Ohio State records as a freshman, he battled injuries the next two seasons, then willingly split carries as a senior. That shift hurt his overall stats but kept him fresh (7.1 yards per carry in 2024). Nonetheless, he still finished top five in school history in rushing yards and No. 3 in total touchdowns (48).
Although his inside vision can get a little messy at times, and he isn’t the most graceful working through tight spaces, Henderson can bounce laterally and smash the accelerator to sprint through voids or convert his speed to power as a finisher. As a blocker, he delivers thunderbolts into his target. As a pass catcher, he secures grabs away from his frame and has dynamic ability on option routes. Overall, Henderson isn’t a proven bellcow between the tackles, but his bursts of speed make him a home-run threat and coaches can trust him to execute without the football. His versatile skill set will be an immediate upgrade to an NFL backfield.
NFL Draft Buzz had these points:
Dane Brugler had Henderson as #46 in his Top 300
Pro Football Focus had him at #58
Evan Lazar of Patriots.com has him at #31 in his Top 100
There were several receivers available early in the Third Round. I was watching the Draft show on Patriots.com Unfiltered and they were doing cartwheels over the pick. Williams can play either the X or Slot receiver. His speed and quickness are very sudden. I wish I had a 3-cone or Short Shuttle time on him. It appears he didn’t do either of those at the combine and didn’t participate in the Pro Day.
3 – 69 Kyle Williams WR Washington State – 5’10” 190-pounds 4.40 40-yard dash
This is what The Athletic “The Beast” Draft Guide states – A two-year starter at Washington State, Williams was the X receiver in offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle’s Air Raid scheme (74.0 percent of snaps wide, 25.3 percent in the slot). He was a steady pass catcher over three seasons at UNLV, then blossomed in Pullman the past two years while catching passes from Cam Ward in 2023 and John Mateer in 2024. He finished the 2024 season No. 4 in the FBS with 14 receiving touchdowns (one behind Colorado’s Travis Hunter and Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith).
Williams is quick to uncover near the line or win downfield — he posted an outstanding success rate (58.3 percent) on throws of more than 20 yards in 2024. The next step in his development will be to polish his route steps to better harness his athletic traits. Overall, Williams might not stand out with his size or play strength, but he compensates for that with his ability to accelerate to top gear rapidly and create catchable windows for his quarterback. With more seasoning, he can become a WR2/3 for an NFL offense.
NFL Draft Buzz had these points:
Williams was uncoverable during the Senior Bowl practices. He is one of the best Wide Receivers at beating Press Man Coverage.
Dane Brugler had him ranked at #90
PFF had him at #63
Evan Lazar had him at #57
The Patriots made two trades, first trading from #77 with Carolina for picks 3-85 and 5-146. The second trade was #85 with Kansas City for #95 and a 2026 4th round pick. Just prior to the Patriots selection at #85, Tampa Bay took speedy DB Jacob Parrish who had been linked to the Patriots.
3 – 95 Jared Wilson C Georgia 6’3” 310-pounds 4.84 40-yard dash at the Combine 9.84 Relative Athletic Score, and 103/4 hands.
Jared Wilson allowed zero sacks in 511 pass-block snaps last season in the SEC.
Wilson started in 11 of 12 games in 2024, his only year as the starter. He had to wait his turn, and became the starter only after Alex Van Pran-Granger was drafted in last year’s draft. Wilson was selected by the SEC Coaches’ as Second-Team All-SEC. He also earned a 79.4 offensive blocking grade, including an 84.9 pass-blocking grade. He had the third-best PFF grade out of all Georgia offensive players. Two Guards, Tate Ratledge and Dylan Fairchild were taken in the draft ahead of Wilson.
This is what The Athletic “The Beast” Draft Guide states – A one-year starter at Georgia, Wilson moved to center in offensive coordinator Mike Bobo’s multiple-run scheme (zone and gap). He didn’t start playing football until high school and didn’t move to center until after the 2022 season, but he played at a high level as a starter in 2024 and earned All-SEC honors. With his athletic traits and play strength, Wilson shines blocking inside zone and has the feet to operate in small quarters or make the backside cutoff/frontside reach.
Still relatively inexperienced, he needs to develop his consistency as a drive blocker in the run game and when working underneath defenders to anchor in pass protection. Overall, Wilson lacks premium size and is fundamentally rough around the edges, but he sports the body control, movement skills and football IQ to lock down a long-term starting center role. His game is reminiscent of Rodney Hudson’s, and he should compete for immediate starting reps.
Dane Brugler had a 2nd round grade on Wilson and had him ranked #57
PFF had him at #63
Evan Lazar #65
NFL Draft Buzz had these points:
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Henderson made a lot more sense than Taylor. Henry is still a good tight end. Hooper is a good backup. Bell is a good 3rd TE(even if more of a move TE/Hback). Rhamondre’s play last year leaves questions about his status at the top of the depth chart. Henderson gives you a guy that can complement him well from day 1, or take a bigger role if Rhamondre keeps putting the ball on the floor. Thats a much bigger impact than a #2 TE(Taylor wouldn’t start over Henry as a rookie). You can’t solve all holes in one year. Henry… Read more »
Why on earth would you call them the ‘dreaded’ NY Jets. Also, Henderson is going to be absolutely stellar in this offense with Josh McD.