Who Should I Start? Rhamondre Stevenson or Puka Nacua

Saturday, August 22, 6:19 AM

The New England Patriots recently completed two joint practices with the Eagles ahead of Saturday night's preseason matchup, and while the stout interior of Philadelphia's defensive front allowed for very little running room, veteran running back Rhamondre Stevenson did manage to pop a handful of outside runs, and team writer Evan Lazar sees him emerging as the team's lead back to begin the season. While Lazar notes that second-year back TreVeyon Henderson will still have a major role in a change-of-pace capacity, particularly if he can continue to make strides in pass protection, he believes that Stevenson has more consistently made plays between the tackles while seeing the bulk of the work with quarterback Drake Maye and the first team offense. Stevenson missed three games in 2025, but he outscored Henderson by half a fantasy point per game and was the back most commonly on the field during New England's four-game postseason run. Even still, he is currently being drafted as the RB28, almost two full rounds behind Henderson.