When the Patriots selected Rhamondre Stevenson in the fourth round of the 2021 draft the hope was that he could become part of a strong running back group with Damien Harris that would help Mac Jones early in his career. What they have gotten has been a high-quality player who took a strong rookie season and built on it to become the best running back on the team this season.
Stevenson ran for 606 yards and five touchdowns in 2021 and was a small part of the passing game with 14 catches for 123 yards. He struggled in pass protection early in his rookie season, but improved as the year went on. Stevenson ran hard in 2021 and was able to move exceptionally well for a back who was 227 pounds.
Early in 2022 Stevenson has been even better. He has greatly improved his pass blocking and already has 11 receptions through four games for 57 yards. Stevenson has generated two first downs in the passing game, only one shy of his total for all of last season. On the ground he has 43 carries for 211 yards and one touchdown. He’s also accounted for 14 first downs running the ball. The 4.9 yards per carry average is 16th overall in the NFL and 13th among players with at least 30 carries. He’s also tied for 23rd in total yards gained rushing. These numbers may not jump out as top-5 stats, but Stevenson is doing this while taking only 51% of the offensive snaps. Stevenson is a hard runner who is excellent at breaking tackles and has the speed to outrun defenders, a rare combination that is especially valuable in an offense that prioritizes a strong running game.
https://twitter.com/FTBeard7/status/1576704085360664578?s=20&t=qdoS_RpH4p6Xvc4GV1P8bg
Damien Harris is a good running back and should continue to play a lot. However, Stevenson has earned the right to get his snaps and touches increased. A running back rotation is the best scenario for the Patriots and New England should continue to do it, but instead of giving Harris the majority of snaps in key situations, those snaps should begin to go to Stevenson.
Rhamondre Stevenson is a budding star for the Patriots. His blend of speed and power running as well as his improved pass catching and blocking have made him a major piece of the Patriots offense. The New England running back group is one of the best in the league with Stevenson and Harris and Stevenson will only continue to get better.