Inside the Patriots’ Draft Room Drama: The Shocking Debate Behind Pick No. 38 Before Landing TreVeyon Henderson

When it came to the 38th pick in the 2025 draft, the Patriots didn’t just consider trading down — nope, they were locked in on a real tug-of-war in the war room. Running back TreVeyon Henderson was front and center, but he wasn’t the only name stirring debate among the fresh crop of coaches and front-office bigwigs like Mike Vrabel, Ryan Cowden, and John Streicher. According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, there was an intense, thoughtful back-and-forth as the clock was ticking — a spirited discussion about Henderson and an as-yet-unrevealed player. Though that mystery player went off the board just before New England’s turn, the process of hashing it out reflected a new kind of collaboration inside the Patriots’ ranks. Here’s the kicker: many suspect the other debated player was Quinshon Judkins, Henderson’s teammate from Ohio State, turning this draft moment into a fascinating ‘what if’ — not only for the Pats but also the Browns, who grabbed Judkins first. With overlapping skill sets and draft positions, this decision opens up a Pandora’s box of questions about how these running backs will shape their NFL paths. Curious for the full story? LEARN MORE.

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.As the sixth pick on the second day approached, the Patriots were considering running back TreVeyon Henderson and another player.For all anyone knows, the Browns actually made that decision, in picking Judkins over Henderson.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.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.

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.Here’s the next question, which wasn’t (and likely won’t be) answered: Who was the other player?Trading down wasn’t the only option the Patriots thought they’d have with the 38th pick in the 2025 draft.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.“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.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.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. 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.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.