The New England Patriots struck gold on their second round pick with Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson. Henderson exploded onto the scene in Week 1 with an unforgettable 100 yard kick return to start his NFL career. He followed up his viral debut with an impressive offensive outing this weekend that earned him the highest spot in NFL.com’s rookie grades.

“Henderson continued to show off his multifaceted skill set in the win over the Vikings, playing one quarter of action,” wrote analyst Chad Reuter. “He looked fast returning the opening kickoff and on his first two carries, though free defenders stopped his progress early on those offensive snaps. Henderson later converted a third-and-10, accelerating through a large hole up the middle, and then bounced off multiple defenders to score a touchdown on his final tote.”

However, Reuter did keep the rookie honest, using the latter half of his write up to comment on where he came up short in Week 2.

“He could not rein in an underthrown wheel route on his only target as a receiver. Henderson missed his punch in pass pro against a blitzing corner on the first play but recovered well and stood up to defenders on other plays.,” Reuter concludes.

TreVeyon Henderson Speaks After Patriots Win

Henderson is an old school Bible Belt Christian. Born in Virginia, he led multiple prayer groups during his time at Ohio State. I say that to say this, every time he gets in front of a microphone his gratitude is palpable and he is constantly highlighting his teammates performances. As was the case in the locker room after the rookie’s standout afternoon in Minneapolis.

“The biggest thing is: I just want to stay focused, continue to connect with my teammates and try to earn a spot on this team, we will see what God has in store,” Henderson told reporters.

When asked about how much fun it was to showcase the team’s progress on Saturday, a smile crossed his face as he spoke about the work he and the team has done.

“It was pretty fun, I enjoyed it with my guys. I’m enjoying being on this team. Building bonds with the guys on this team, going out there and competing,” Henderson continued. “Those guys they’ve been doing a lot of dirty work. They’re handling business up front… Those guys are getting better, we’re all as a team getting better.”

Final Running Back Room Projections

Henderson was being humble when he mentioned a “hope” to make this football team. He has earned his jersey throughout his first training camp, but the same cannot be said for the other two players competing for the last spot in the running back room.

Henderson will join Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson as Week 1 contributors, but the fourth and final depth spot is currently still in contention. It will be between veteran JaMycal Hasty, and second year back Terrell Jennings.

NBC Boston and 98.5 have differing opinions on the decision. The Sports Hub thinks the spot is Hasty’s to take.

“Even though he didn’t re-sign with the team until Aug. 5, Hasty has been used like a roster player since he returned to camp and preseason games,” wrote Alex Barth for 98.5. “His ability to make plays in the kicking game both in coverage and as a returner, as well as his fit in multiple running back roles on offense make him an intriguing depth option – especially if Stevenson is dealing with an injury early in the season.”

While NBC Boston sees the battle favoring the six-foot-even bruiser.

“JaMycal Hasty could be the fourth, but Jennings runs hard and has some kicking-game ability. He just needs to get healthy. He missed both days of joint work,” wrote Phil Perry for NBC.