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Should you draft TreVeyon Henderson or Quinshon Judkins in 2025 dynasty fantasy football rookie drafts? Dan Fornek breaks down the profiles and landing spots for Henderson and Judkins.
The NFL draft has come and gone, and now we get to sit around and wait for training camps and preseason football before the 2025 NFL season.
For dynasty football managers, this also signals one of the best times of the year - the time when all our rookie drafts will take place. This class had no shortage of dynasty-relevant skill players, especially at the running back position.
One choice that dynasty managers will undoubtedly make when they are on the clock in the first round is trying to decide between two teammates, Ohio State’s Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson. Which Ohio State running back should you add in your rookie drafts? Find the answer below.
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Player Profiles and Background
Judkins entered the 2025 draft at age 21.5 after three college seasons with Ole Miss and Ohio State. Judkins was seen as a more deliberate and powerful runner based on his film in college, but shocked many when he ran a 4.48 40-yard dash at six feet and 221 pounds at the NFL combine.
Henderson entered the 2025 NFL draft at age 22.5 after spending four seasons at Ohio State. Henderson is known for his explosiveness with the ball in his hands (especially in space) and is one of the best pass-protecting running backs in this class. He measured in at 5-foot-10, 202 pounds at the combine, and ran a 4.43 40-yard dash.
College Production
There are a few running backs in the 2025 class that can stack up with Judkins’ production in college. In two seasons at Ole Miss, he showed that he could be a true workhorse, handling 545 carries for 2,725 yards (5.0 yards per carry) and 31 touchdowns.
Judkins also provided 37 receptions for 281 yards (7.6 yards per reception) and three touchdowns during his time with the Rebels.
Judkins elected to transfer for his final collegiate season, seeking an opportunity to win a National Championship, and landed at Ohio State. He entered a timeshare with Henderson but still handled a bulk of the workload (194 carries for 1,060 yards and 14 touchdowns with 22 receptions for 161 yards and two receiving scores).
In three seasons, Judkins amassed over 4,000 all-purpose yards and 50 touchdowns.
Quinshon Judkins will be a TRUE 3 Down RB
➖Size: 6’0, 221 lbs
➖Speed: 4.48 (81st Percentile)
➖Production: 1,221 Yards, 16 TD’s (2024)He’s hit 1,200 Total Yards + 15 TDs in ALL 3 of his Collegiate Seasons..
42 Career Games:
➖50 TDs
➖4,227 YardsThat’s 100.6 YPG..
RB1 pic.twitter.com/G1d5Q0FezO
— Austin Abbott (@AustinAbbottFF) April 9, 2025
Henderson burst onto the college football scene during his 2021 freshman season with Ohio State and was immediately viewed as the next great running back. In that season, Henderson averaged 6.8 yards per carry while handling 183 carries for 1,248 yards and 15 touchdowns. He flashed excellent receiving skills, amassing 27 receptions for 312 yards and four scores.
Unfortunately, Henderson was unable to replicate that success over the next two seasons as he navigated a series of injuries. Henderson was limited to just 18 games in 2022 and 2023, accruing just 186 touches for 1,754 all-purpose yards and 18 total touchdowns. He averaged just 6.0 yards per touch compared to 7.4 as a freshman.
Ohio State made a concerted effort to find a running back to complement Henderson to maximize his explosiveness and maintain his health before the 2024 season. Eventually, they recruited Judkins off the transfer portal to split the workload.
The result was a return to form for Henderson in Ohio State’s National Championship campaign. In his final season, Henderson carried the ball 144 times for 1,016 yards (7.1 yards per carry) and 10 touchdowns. He also added 27 receptions for 284 yards and a receiving score.
His 7.6 yards per touch was a career-high.
Ohio State RB TreVeyon Henderson’s 94.1 In-Game Athleticism Score (IGA Score) is powered by a 22.0 mph max speed. #IGAScore pic.twitter.com/SWc9ECRf92
— Reel Analytics (@RAanalytics) January 1, 2025
Draft Capital, Landing Spot, and Outlook
Both Judkins and Henderson were selected in the second round of the NFL draft, just two picks apart. Henderson gained some late momentum as a potential first-round pick ahead of the draft, but ultimately Judkins was selected first as the third running back drafted in the class.
Quinshon Judkins
The Cleveland Browns used the 36th overall pick on Judkins to serve as their replacement for Nick Chubb, who the team let walk in free agency. Judkins was immediately elevated to the top of the running back depth chart as the only back on the roster capable of handling the early-down volume.
Judkins does have the skill set to contribute on all three downs at the NFL level, but it seems like he will not get the chance. Jerome Ford is still on the roster and would likely serve as the team’s pass-catching back. The Browns also invested a fourth-round pick in Tennessee’s Dylan Sampson, the 2024 Offensive Player of the Year, to serve as an explosive change-of-pace back and receiving threat out of the backfield.
Another complicating factor is the uncertainty about Cleveland’s offense. Cleveland's offensive line is no longer one of the best units in the league, and the team doesn’t seemingly have a long-term answer at quarterback. Judkins may have landed with a team that will be playing behind due to a bad offense, limiting his impact on games if he’s not on the field in passing situations.
Both Ford and Sampson ultimately cap Judkins’ upside. He will likely lead Cleveland’s backfield in touches over the next few seasons, but his ability to contribute high-value receiving fantasy points was certainly wiped out with Sampson joining the team.
TreVeyon Henderson
Henderson was selected with the 38th overall pick by the New England Patriots to add some necessary explosion to the backfield. However, his role in his first season (and potentially in future seasons) is far less certain.
New England gave Rhamondre Stevenson a four-year, $36 million contract extension before the 2024 football season that kicks in during 2025. That contract ensures that Stevenson will be part of the team in 2025 and likely 2026 ($3.25 million dead cap) before his guaranteed money runs out.
Stevenson is far from a great running back, but he has shown that he is more than capable of factoring into an NFL backfield. In the last three seasons, he’s played in 44 games (33 starts) while averaging 191 carries, 820 yards, and five rushing touchdowns. He’s also averaged 60 targets, 47 receptions, and 276 receiving yards per season.
Henderson will start his career in a timeshare, although it is very likely that his role holds a lot of value as New England’s third-down back. Considering how carefully Ohio State managed his workload to keep him healthy in college, there is a chance he never fully develops into a bell cow back.
The Patriots worked hard to upgrade their offensive line this offseason, signing Morgan Moses and drafting Will Campbell to fortify the tackle position. The team also has 2024 first-round pick Drake Maye under center, giving them a legitimate quarterback of the future.
Verdict
Ultimately, fantasy managers picking between Henderson and Judkins are choosing between two good prospects. A lot of the choice will come down to preference: do you want the explosive passing down back or the one who will have to grind out carries and score touchdowns to reach a scoring ceiling?
However, nobody wants to read an article where the verdict is qualifying both players, so the recommendation here is to draft Henderson over Judkins in your 2025 rookie drafts.
Not only does Henderson offer more in the passing game, but we do have an example of him handling a bell-cow workload in his collegiate profile (although it did end with injury). Based on what we know, there is a chance that the Patriots' offense is far more productive than Cleveland’s for the duration of their rookie deals.
(Know that either option will have a positive impact on your running back room for 2025 and beyond if everyone stays healthy.)
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