One name that has continued to float in the background as the NFL draft nears is TreVeyon Henderson. Many top experts agree from what they’ve heard that the Ohio State running back will go in the 1st round, and probably much earlier than people think. One team he’s been connected to on more than one occasion is the Chicago Bears. They have a keen interest in him. What hasn’t been certain is how high their opinion truly is. Many aren’t willing to accept the idea that the Bears would take him at 10th overall.
Based on what college football insider Bruce Feldman of The Athletic is hearing, such an idea is far from crazy. Henderson has a lot of fans inside the NFL, especially among coaches. They feel he is the second-best running back in the class, only behind Ashton Jeanty of Boise State.
No, that is not a joke.
I expected that coming out of the combine in early March, North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton, a 6-0, 221-pound back who ran 4.46 in the 40 and broad jumped almost 11 feet in Indianapolis, would be the prospect most likely to challenge Jeanty for the top spot. But from my conversations, it might be Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson. He’s a smaller back at 5-10, 202, and didn’t run much faster at the combine than Hampton, going 4.43 in the 40. But his film has been a big hit with the NFL coaches.
Said RB coach No. 1, “He’s the second-best guy, behind Jeanty. I think he’s better than Hampton. He’s physical. He’s violent. He’s so twitchy, so elusive. He can catch too.”
RB coach No. 2 also gave Henderson very high marks: “He’s the most dynamic of this group. He’s got the juice. He can run with enough power. He can catch the ball and he can block. He shows everything on tape that you like.”
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein agrees, ranking Henderson second behind Jeanty. He compared the Buckeyes standout to former Pro Bowler Aaron Jones. The Bears should know him well, having been tortured by him for years in Green Bay and Minnesota.
TreVeyon Henderson would be risky at #10, but not crazy.
Facts are facts. The guy can play. He’s athletic, stronger than he looks, runs with good vision, and is the best pass-protector in the class. What holds people back from ranking him higher is his build. TreVeyon Henderson is only 202 lbs. That is light for a running back in the NFL, leaving many to wonder if he has the durability to handle a full workload. He missed time in 2022 and 2023 with various injuries. That is likely why Ohio State opted to use him in a committee backfield alongside Quinshon Judkins. If the Bears take him, it likely won’t be as a workhorse guy. He would replace D’Andre Swift as the weapon back who would be paired with a power guy of some kind. Ben Johnson would likely see him as his next version of Jahmyr Gibbs. Given how that worked out in Detroit, it’s hard not to be intrigued.
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