The New England Patriots’ running back group fell short of expectations in 2024. Insufficient offensive line play had a lot to do with that, but so did the players themselves not reaching their projected potential. One area where this was quite obvious was the passing game: the team’s top three backs — Rhamondre Stevenson (33), Antonio Gibson (23), JaMycal Hasty (10) — combined for only 66 receptions.

The lack of a true passing back in the mold of ex-Patriots James White or Shane Vereen robbed the team’s quarterbacks of reliable security blankets. Needless to say, that is an area the club very well could try to address in this year’s draft.

If so, few players are better fits than SMU’s Brashard Smith.

Hard facts

Name: Brashard Smith

Position: Running back

School: SMU

Opening day age: 22 (4/11/2003)

Measurements: 5’9 7/8”, 194 lbs, 74” wingspan, 30 1/2” arm length, 8 3/4” hand size, 4.39s 40-yard dash, 4.28s short shuttle, 32 1/2” vertical jump, 9’9” broad jump, 7.21 Relative Athletic Score

Experience

Colleges: Miami (2021-23), SMU (2024)

Career statistics: 49 games (20 starts) | 1,117 offensive snaps, 316 special teams snaps | 253 carries, 1,509 rushing yards (6.0 yards/carry), 15 TDs | 139 targets, 108 catches (77.7%), 1,097 receiving yards, 8 TDs | 53 kickoff returns, 1,323 yards (25.0 yards/return), 1 TD | 5 punt returns, 40 yards (8.0 yards/return) | 2 special teams tackles, 1 missed tackle (33.3%) | 5 fumbles, 6 drops

Accolades: Third-team All-American (all-purpose | 2024), First-team All-ACC (2024), Second-team All-ACC (kickoff returner | 2023), Honorable mention All-ACC (all-purpose | 2023)

A four-star wide receiver recruit out of Miami Palmetto High School, Smith received scholarship offers from some of the most prominent football programs in the country. He initially committed to Florida but four months later decommitted and made the switch to the University of Miami. He ended up spending three seasons with the Hurricanes, playing in 35 games and catching 69 passes for 770 yards and 4 touchdowns.

In 2024, Smith transferred to SMU to reunite with his former offensive coordinator at Miami, Rhett Lashlee. A part-time ball carrier already, he made the move from wide receiver to running back full-time under Lashlee. The decision paid off: Smith carried the ball 235 times for 1,332 yards and 14 touchdowns during his senior season, while also adding 39 receptions for 327 yards and 4 more scores.

A first-team All-ACC selection who ranked fourth in FBS with 1,977 all-purpose yards in 2024, Smith was invited to the Senior Bowl and Scouting Combine after leaving college.

Draft profile

Expected round: Day 3 | Consensus big board: No. 161 | Patriots meeting: N/A

Strengths: A big-play threat who had 19 plays of 20-plus yards in his first season as a running back, Smith moves quickly and effectively both with and without the ball in his hands. His background as a receiver allows him to run a variety of routes at a high level and he has proven himself a mismatch when lined up 1-on-1 against a linebacker. He also has good hand-eye coordinator, allowing him to make catches not every back can make.

As a runner, his straight-line speed is not his only asset. Smith also has shown the proper fight, elusiveness and contact balance to find his way out of tackle attempts; in 2024, he was credited with 52 missed tackles forced on 235 carries, a rate of 22.1 percent. Despite his lack of experience as an RB, he showed promising if still underdeveloped vision and feel for the blocks in front of him. He also has shown some good pad level to squeeze through holes.

File Brashard Smith into the "weapon"🎯 category.

The Miami WR turned SMU RB takes SMU 1/2 a football field in 2 plays:
🔸16 yards up the gut
🔸double-move split wide for 33
🔸this was Smiths's 5th game at RB 👀

He's met with the #NEPATS and had a top30 with #bears & #vikings pic.twitter.com/os4tR3qbTi

— ZeeBee (@BellinoZee) April 7, 2025

Weaknesses: Smith is a work in progress, and at the moment remains a bit of a tweener who does not yet offer three-down value. He needs to develop some better patience, trust his blocks and generally has to learn how to read what is happening in front of him on a more consistent basis.

There also is a question about his missed tackles being translatable to the NFL; the tacklers will be better, his size and power will not significantly change from college. He also needs to improve as a pass protector. While he gave up only two hurries last season, he is on the smaller side and will need to have his technique on point to compete against blitzing NFL linebackers.

Patriots preview

What would be his role? Given his experience as a receiver and ability to run routes from various alignments, Smith projects as a mix of a classic receiving back and a “joker” capable of being moved all over the formation. He primarily would see the field on passing downs and in two-minute drill situations, serving as a complementary piece next to Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson.

What is his growth potential? With only one year of playing running back under his belt, Smith has definitive room for growth at the position. Once he gets used to the flow of the run game and improves his gap vision, he could become more nuanced than serving as a receiving back.

Does he have positional versatility? Yes, indeed. Smith is a former wide receiver who turned running back and can be moved anywhere from the backfield to the perimeter to create mismatches. In addition, he was a prolific kickoff returner in a college who also offers a bit of experience in the punt return game.

Why the Patriots? As mentioned previously, the lack of a pure receiving back proved to be an issue for New England’s offense in 2024. Smith would help address that despite his relative lack of experience at the running back position. He also fits the team wanting to be, in Mike Vrabel’s words, “multiple” on the offensive side of the ball: Smith can do various things at a high level, and would add a new dimension to the unit.

Why not the Patriots? The Patriots adding to their running back group seems like a foregone conclusion entering the draft, but they simply might be looking for a different flavor at the position. Smith, after all, is still learning its ins and outs and is not a safe a projection as some of the other players available in what is a deep RB class overall.

One-sentence verdict: Smith is far from a finished product, but a player with whom Josh McDaniels could have plenty of fun.