It looks as though the Washington Commanders are zeroing in on their preferred running back from the 2025 NFL draft class. At least based on the “multiple times” they’ve met with a legitimate “home run” threat.
That’s according to ESPN’s John Keim, who revealed the Commanders “have met with Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson multiple times.” Keim has pulled the curtain back to highlight a significant detail about the Commanders’ plans at a position of need.
An explosive offense propped up by the brilliance of 2024 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels, and supplemented by star power at wide receiver, needs balance. The kind of balance only provided by a three-down playmaker in the backfield.
Henderson qualifies thanks to a knack for the big play borne from home-run speed. He has all the tools, but the 22-year-old’s best moments for the Buckeyes raise questions about Henderson’s scheme fit in Washington.
TreVeyon Henderson’s Not an ideal Scheme Fit for the Commanders
He’s one of the most gifted and versatile runners in this class, but Henderson may not be an ideal scheme fit for the Commanders and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury. Specifically, there’s a difference between the type of runs Kingsbury likes to call and Henderson’s most effective rushing style.
As Nathan Jahnke of Pro Football Focus noted, “Henderson has the most significant gap between how much better he plays on gap runs compared to zone, finishing with a 96.3 career grade on gap plays compared to 85.7 against zone.”
Kingsbury tends to prefer a zone-based rushing scheme. It’s one reason flexible veteran Austin Ekeler chose the Commanders in free agency last offseason.
Of course, Kingsbury and his staff could alter their X’s and O’s for the right player. Henderson could be that player based on plays like this 66-yard touchdown against Oregon in the Rose Bowl, highlighted by ESPN.
