By the end of training camp and preseason, it appeared the Cleveland Browns might have made the wrong decision in the second round of the draft. Targeting a running back at No. 36 overall, they had their choice between two local kids: Ohio State’s Quinshon Judkins or TreVeyon Henderson.
They went with the former, leaving Henderson on the board for the New England Patriots to pick him up two selections later. Through the summer, it looked like the lower-drafted of the two backs was primed for a bigger
regular season.
Whereas Judkins was unavailable due to his contract situation remaining unsettled, and along the way also faced a brief domestic violence episode that was later resolved without any charges being prosecuted, Henderson looked like a star in the making for the Patriots. In two preseason contests, he registered a combined eight touches for 50 yards and a touchdown and ran back a kickoff 100 yards for another score.
As soon as the calendar started to flip to September, however, the two former Buckeyes’ trajectories started to reverse.
Judkins did miss Cleveland’s season opener after only signing his rookie deal one day prior, but since then has become a focal point of the team’s offensive operation.
In his six games, Judkins established himself as Cleveland’s primary running back and now leads the team in carries (109), rushing yards (467) and rushing touchdowns (5) as well as yards from scrimmage (529). Averaging 4.3 yards per carry, he is one of the top backs in football this year as well as responsible for one fourth of the Browns’ offensive yardage so far and almost half of their 11 total TDs.
With him in the lineup alongside fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel at quarterback, head coach Kevin Stefanski and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees decided to make him the cornerstone of their attack. In last week’s 31-9 win over the Miami Dolphins, he gained 84 yards and scored three times including a 46-yard scamper.
Compared to Judkins, Henderson has been a non-factor for the Patriots since the games started to count. While he has been on the field for 151 offensive snaps (34.1%) through Week 7, he has only touched the ball 59 times for 252 yards and a touchdown. He also has had a limited impact as a return man, averaging 22.0 yards on seven kickoff runbacks before being removed from the position to limit his exposure in the aftermath of fellow RB/KR Antonio Gibson tearing his ACL.
Opportunities have been one thing, but Henderson has also struggled making the most of the snaps he has been given. The comparison between the two ex-teammates therefore becomes even more drastic when looking at advanced metrics such as yards over expectation. Whereas Judkins ranks sixth in the league in that category (1.09), Henderson is 42nd and last (-1.26) among qualifying backs.
Seven weeks into the 2025 season, Judkins now looks like the home run pick Henderson was initially believed to be. Of course, just like their outlook changed, so can the latter’s fortunes moving forward.
The circumstances, after all, were favorable for Judkins making an impact early relative to Henderson. The Browns are led by a rookie quarterback, had no clear-cut RB1 on their roster, and have a seasoned offensive line capable of moving bodies in the ground game. The Patriots, on the other hand, are fielding one of the most productive QBs in football this season, an established (if somewhat volatile) starter at RB, and an O-line featuring four new starters including a pair of rookies.
At the end of the day, it is too early to write off Henderson. That said, the comparison with Judkins up until this point in their respective rookie campaigns is not one the Patriots’ youngster can win.
