Former Oklahoma star Rhamondre Stevenson looking to shine for the New England Patriots
In eight of the past 10 seasons, the New England Patriots‘ leading rusher was either drafted in the third round or not drafted at all. Enter Oklahoma’s Rhamondre Stevenson, who was drafted in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft to the New England Patriots.
Stevenson has made quite the splash in preseason in the Patriots first two games. So far he’s rushed for 131 yards after contact, nine forced missed tackles, and four touchdowns, according to PFF.
NFL.com’s Gil Brandt ranks Stevenson as the top non first round draft pick that can make an impact in 2021.
Here’s the excerpt from his article below from Brandt’s write up:
“Stevenson rushed for 127 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries in the preseason opener against Washington. Yes, all of those snaps took place in the second half, presumably against backup-caliber defenders, and yes, 91 of those yards came on one scoring dash in the game’s final moments. But Stevenson still showed the kind of burst that should earn him a chance to compete with Damien Harris and Sony Michel as the preseason continues to unfold. In eight of the past 10 seasons, New England’s rushing leader was either drafted in the third round or later or not drafted at all. There is a prime opportunity for Stevenson to become the latest unheralded back to thrive with the Patriots.”
Here’s a clip below of his 91 yard touchdown run against the Redskins, courtesy of PFF.
COTTON BOWL PERFORMANCE
Stevenson’s remarkable blend of size, speed, contact balance, and agility were on fine display in the Cotton Bowl against the Florida Gators.
For someone his size (5-foot-11, 227 pounds) he is incredibly light on his feet.
Stevenson gashed the Gator defense for 186 rushing yards on 18 carries in the 55-20 blowout victory of Florida.
Check the highlight below.
Stevenson made seven defenders miss on that 18-yard trip to the end zone. It was one of the more impressive runs of the 2020 college football bowl season. His speed and agility don’t show up in traditional testing; he ran a 4.69 40 yard dash at the NFL Combine. Both traits show up on film in the biggest of ways.
SENIOR BOWL STANDOUT
Stevenson turned heads during the week of the Senior Bowl with his pass-catching ability. Despite being a much bigger running back at 5-feet-11, 227 pounds, he was valuable for Oklahoma in the passing attack. In 2020, he hauled in 18 catches for 211 yards in six games.
Here’s a few clips below from his Senior Bowl practices that demonstrate his pass-catching ability.
Stevenson simply moves in ways running backs his size don’t normally move. Many members of the national media are gushing about Stevenson, including Scott Barrett.
Since 2015, there are only four power five running backs to average at least 100 rushing yards per game and 35 receiving yards per game in a since season: Christian McCaffrey (2015), Dalvin Cook (2016), Joe Mixon (2016), and Rhamondre Stevenson (2020).
He’s going to be an exciting and fascinating prospect to watch develop in the National Football League.