Not every running back is given the Ashton Jeanty treatment, smoothly transitioning from college football star to featured back in an NFL offense.
Other RBs have to find their way onto the field the hard way, and that’s by laying their body on the line for their quarterback in pass protection.
While the likes of Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley came into the NFL with every opportunity to be a workhorse running back for their teams, unheralded prospects at the position have carved out significant roles for themselves thanks to their willingness and tenacity in pass pro.
Los Angeles Rams workhorse back Kyren Williams is the gold standard for under-the-radar running backs becoming household names through their willingness to protect the quarterback. A fifth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft out of Notre Dame, Williams has continued to see an uptick in offensive snaps because of his tenacity in pass pro for veteran QB Matthew Stafford.
Per Pro Football Focus, not only did Williams play more snaps than any other running back in the regular season, he also logged 153 pass-blocking snaps, 46 more than any other running back in the league.
After developing into an every-down workhorse back, Williams was rewarded with a three-year, $33 million contract this offseason, making him a top-10 running back in terms of average annual salary.
The second-team All-Pro selection in 2023 and back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons are nice, but according to Rams head coach Sean McVay, the contract was earned mostly because of the mentality that Williams brings to the team.
“He’s shown the mental and physical toughness that we’re looking for,” McVay told reporters shortly after the extension was announced. “He’s a great teammate, he’s got great energy…This is something that was earned. He earned this. He’s been a really impactful teammate, and person and player for us.”
Williams isn’t the only running back to go from late-round flier to workhorse star. Aaron Jones had a similar journey with the Green Bay Packers before joining the Minnesota Vikings in 2024.
Jones was a fifth-round pick out of UTEP in 2017, and while he became a household name in Green Bay for his efficiency as a runner, it was his pass-blocking ability that helped unlock so much of the Packers offense before his departure last offseason.
In the Wild Card against the Dallas Cowboys in 2024, one of Jones’ final games with the Packers, he was crucial in helping Jordan Love and Green Bay’s passing game with his ability to pick up blitzers in pass protection.
One of Jones’ victims was All-Pro EDGE Micah Parsons, who talked on his podcast following the season about how surprised he was to see Jones effectively picking him up in pass pro.
“It was unbelievable,” Parsons said on his podcast. “On most of those inside rushes, I was like, there is no way he’s supposed to be there.”
Now, there’s a new running back hoping to be recognized for his abilities in pass protection in order to secure a larger role in his respective offense, and that’s New England Patriots rookie TreVeyon Henderson.
Despite being a star in Ohio State’s offense during a national title run, Henderson still prioritized blocking for his teammates throughout his college career. His unselfishness wasn’t only an asset for the offense, but had a tangible impact on the locker room.
Henderson’s work ethic surprised then-offensive coordinator Chip Kelly during his final season for the Buckeyes, and so far that seems to be carrying over in New England after Henderson was taken 38th overall by the Patriots in the 2025 NFL Draft.
It’s still early, but Henderson has been arguably the biggest breakout star of the NFL preseason, and his pass protection has been a part of that.
That tenacity and willingness in pass protection has even shown up in practice, with Henderson being involved in a scrum during a joint session with the Washington Commanders that led to head coach Mike Vrabel being bloodied after trying to break things up.
Following the incident, Patriots quarterback Drake Maye applauded Henderson’s tenacity in the moment.
“Pass pro is physical. It’s a physical game. Things happen out there,” Maye said according to ESPN. “There’s a time where obviously you don’t want to come out here and fight and get into trouble. At the same time, you don’t want to back down from nobody. So I’m sure Coach will preach that we can’t have that, but at the same time, kind of in the back of our minds, that’s kind of how we want to play — the intensity, when the whistle is going, play hard, and when the whistle stops, get off and get away.”
While the Patriots have two established veterans in their backfield with Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson, Henderson’s preseason breakout is making it hard to keep him off of the field, and his ability in pass pro could help him quickly see the field as a third-down back.
However, given the history of running backs with this kind of tenacity in pass protection, it likely won’t be long before Patriots fans see Henderson becoming a featured back through sheer force of will.
