The Patriots head into training camp with a clear top of the running back depth chart and a wide-open battle underneath it.
Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson give Mike Vrabel a solid 1-2 punch, but the real question is who fills out the room behind them. With Antonio Gibson released, the path is open for someone to seize the No. 3 job and maybe more.
One name worth watching is Lan Larison. The 2025 undrafted free agent spent his entire rookie season on injured reserve, which makes him easy to overlook. That would be a mistake.
Larison arrived in New England after a huge year at UC-Davis, where the 6-foot, 215-pound back piled up 1,465 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns on the ground. He also added 62 receptions for 847 yards and six receiving scores, the kind of production that explains why the Patriots gave him a look in the first place.
NFL.com's Combine Overview put it this way after that breakout 2024 season:
"FCS running back who offers a diverse skill set and two years of impressive tape to sift through. Larison runs hard, cuts sharply on the second level and has good balance through contact.
However, he has average vision and lacks ideal creativity between the tackles. He has pro ball skills and protection talent but needs to tighten up his route-running to bolster his chances of beating man coverage as a pro.
Larison could be deployed as a Swiss Army Knife type or a third-down back in the NFL. His toughness, talent and versatility give him a good chance of becoming a productive backup in the league."
That kind of profile fits the Patriots’ current need. The backfield is thin beyond Stevenson and Henderson, and the final two roster spots are there for the taking.
Larison will have competition from rookie Myles Montgomery, a UCF sleeper who signed the largest UDFA contract in team history, and from Alabama seventh-round pick Jam Miller. Still, Larison has one edge the others can’t claim: he’s already spent a year in Foxborough and knows the offense.
If he’s healthy, Larison has a real shot to make the 53-man roster and push for the No. 3 role on game days. In a backfield looking for versatility, he’s the kind of player who could quietly become one of camp’s biggest surprises.
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