It should not be a revelation that the 4-13 New England Patriots did very few things well in 2024. But one aspect of the Patriots’ game that was, at least, not as bad as most others was the ground game. New England got solid, though not spectacular, performances from their two primary running backs.
Rhamondre Stevenson, New England’s 2021 fourth-round pick out of Oklahoma, gained 801 yards on 207 carries while Antonio Gibson â a five-year veteran signed as a free agent before the 2024 season â picked up 538 in 120 tries.
Overall, the Patriots ranked a respectable 13th out of the NFL’s 32 teams in rushing yards gained, with a total of 1,969, though they scored only 11 touchdowns on the ground. Stevenson registered seven of those, while quarterback Drake Maye ran the ball in to the end zone twice. Gibson scored one rushing TD.
Maye was the Patriots third-leading rusher with 421 yards in 54 carries. No other runner gained more than 69 yards.
Vrabel Sees Chance of Drafting Running Back
Perhaps more important than the yardage gained, however, was the problem Patriots runners experienced hanging on to the ball â particularly Stevenson who fumbled seven times. Gibson lost the ball twice.
In comments to the media in the Patriots pre-draft press conference on Tuesday, new head coach Mike Vrabel expressed willingness to use a draft pick, perhaps even a high draft pick, on a running back.
“I think that’s individualized based on how good the player is,” Vrabel said, asked whether he would draft a ball carrier. “How talented and what impact that he’s going to make. His ability to play in all three downs, his ability to catch the football, his ability to create mismatches, and obviously then what the team covets.”
In a new trade proposal by Sophie Weller of A to Z Sports, however, the Patriots would in fact draft a running back â but not just any running back.
By making a trade with the New Orleans Saints, the Patriots would drop down to the ninth overall pick, which they use to select “the unquestioned No. 1 running back prospect available,” as Athletic scribe Austin Mock described him â Austin Jeanty of Boise State.
Jeanty Entered Draft Off of Historic Season
The runner-up to two-way star Travis Hunter of Colorado in Heisman Trophy voting, Jeanty rushed for an astonishing 2,601 yards â just barely second on the NCAA all-time single season list only to the legendary Barry Sanders who gained 2,628 for Oklahoma State in 1988.
Jeanty’s 29 rushing touchdowns were second in the NCAA behind Army running back Bryson Daily’s 32.
“I know fans are going to have an opinion on this pick, but it’s something to consider for the Patriots. When Mike Vrabel was with the Tennessee Titans, he saw first hand the impact a big bodied running back can have (aka Derrick Henry),” wrote Weller. “New England currently has three running backs on the roster – Rhamondre Stevenson, Antonio Gibson, and Terrell Jennings. …There is no denying that adding Jeanty to the room could bring in a new level to this offense.”
In Weller’s trade proposal, the Patriots swap the No. 4 overall pick to New Orleans, who then presumably use it to take Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders. New England collects the No. 9 overall pick from New Orleans, which they deploy to take Jeanty.
The Patriots also pick up the 40th overall pick, in this scenario, to follow the 38th pick, which they already own. The extra second-rounder could be highly valuable as the Patriots continue their all-out rebuilding project, in an attempt to launch themselves back into the playoff picture after missing out for three straight seasons and four of the last five.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Trade Pitch: Saints Swap Picks Letting Patriots Draft ‘Unquestioned No. 1 RB’ appeared first on Heavy Sports.