Trading down wasn’t the only option the Patriots thought they’d have with the 38th pick in the 2025 draft.
As the sixth pick on the second day approached, the Patriots were considering running back TreVeyon Henderson and another player.
An article from Mike Reiss of ESPN.com regarding the current state of the Patriots includes a story from V.P. of player personnel Eliot Wolf regarding the manner in which the new collection of coaches (most notably, Mike Vrabel) and front-office executives (Ryan Cowden and John Streicher) came to a consensus regarding pick No. 38.
Wolf said that, as the Patriots “were close” to making the selection at No. 38, they were “debating” Henderson and another player. There were “differing opinions” in the draft room.
The other player was picked before the Patriots were on the clock. Wolf nevertheless was happy with what he called a “constructive discussion” before the other player was picked.
“I think it was a really good step in the right direction, in our relationship as co-workers, because we have to have productive disagreements for this to work,” Wolf said.
Here’s the next question, which wasn’t (and likely won’t be) answered: Who was the other player?
Only five were taken before the Patriots were up on the second day of the draft: linebacker Carson Schwesinger, receiver Jayden Higgins, safety Nick Emmanwori, running back Quinshon Judkins, and guard Jonah Savalinaea.
The most obvious candidate to be subject of the debate is Judkins, Henderson’s Ohio State teammate. With 20 hours or so between the end of round one and the start of round two, the Patriots had plenty of time to figure out which positions they’d target with the 38th pick. And they needed to narrow their total round-two list of targets down to only six players, at most.
One of them, obviously, was Henderson. Given that the Patriots used the pick on a running back and Judkins was the other running back, it’s natural to think they were debating between the two Ohio State running backs.
Generally speaking, Henderson’s style would be more of a complement to incumbent RB1 Rhamondre Stevenson. Judkins’s skills and abilities are more similar to Stevenson’s. Still, both Ohio State teammates were regarded as high second-round picks.
Higgins is also a possibility, since the Patriots took receiver Kyle Williams in round three. Regardless, it was one of only five who had sparked a Henderson vs. Someone debate. And it’s a decision the Patriots ultimately didn’t have to make. But it’s very possible they would have been choosing between the two Ohio State teammates who play the same position.
For all anyone knows, the Browns actually made that decision, in picking Judkins over Henderson.
The possibility that the Patriots may have been debating Henderson vs. Judkins and that the Browns potentially choosing between them adds another layer of intrigue to the question of which one fares better in the NFL.
