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NFL.com’s Bucky Brooks put together his 2023 NFL All-Breakout Team with New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson landing on the list.
Stevenson was a major part of the Patriots’ rushing attack last season. He ran for 1,040 yards and five touchdowns on the season. He also proved to be a weapon in the passing game, catching 69 passes for 420 yards and a touchdown.
Five of his receptions resulted in a gain of 20-plus yards.
Stevenson also managed to take over the top running back role in the process. He tallied 699 total snaps in comparison to Damien Harris’ 238, per statistics from FantasyPro’s.com. Harris was bogged down by injuries, and it became clear Stevenson was the main force in the running back room.
Brooks believes that the play-action passing game will help both quarterback Mac Jones and Stevenson. Now with Harris no longer in the fold, Stevenson could have even more opportunities to make an impact, as Brooks notes:
Bill O’Brien will put the ball in the hands of the rugged runner to set the table for Mac Jones and a complementary play-action passing game. Not to mention, New England’s second-leading rusher from 2022, Damien Harris, departed in free agency to Buffalo. So this is Rhamondre’s show. As a three-down playmaker with the size, strength and skill to shoulder a heavy workload, Stevenson could post big numbers this season.
It will be intriguing to see exactly how much Stevenson factors into the offense.
Nevertheless, it’s clear that the former Oklahoma star has the potential for a big year. New England will need him to be productive if they want to keep pace in a crowded AFC East division.
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