Pats add Oklahoma RB Stevenson, 4 others
BOSTON — The Patriots stood pat on the draft board Saturday.
Coach Bill Belichick didn’t execute any trades through the final four rounds of this year’s NFL Draft, instead making selections at each of the picks the Patriots owned heading into the day. The organization came away with five rookies: Oklahoma running back Rhamondre Stevenson, Michigan linebacker Cameron McGrone, Missouri safety Joshuah Bledsoe, Colorado offensive lineman William Sherman, and Central Florida wide receiver Tre Nixon.
The Patriots began the day by drafting Stevenson in the fourth round with the 120th overall pick.
“It’s a great feeling,” Stevenson said Saturday afternoon via conference call. “It’s a great feeling just knowing I’ve got Bill Belichick as the head coach. He’s a great coach. He’s a genius. He loves what he does. I just know he’s going to coach me hard.”
At 6 feet, 231 pounds, Stevenson is a big back who can contribute as a downhill runner and a pass catcher. In two seasons at Oklahoma, he totaled 13 touchdowns and 1,180 rushing yards on 165 carries, in addition to 28 receptions for 298 yards.
As a senior last season, Stevenson missed the first five games because of a suspension as a result of a failed drug test. He finished the year with a teamhigh 665 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in six games, averaging 6.6 yards per carry.
In the final game of his college career, the 2020 Cotton Bowl against Florida, Stevenson rushed for 186 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries. He was named offensive MVP of the game.
Stevenson, a Las Vegas native, first attended Cerritos College for two years before transferring to Oklahoma. In his two junior college seasons, he recorded 19 touchdowns and 2,612 rushing yards on 290 carries, with an average of 9 yards per rush.
When describing his game, Stevenson emphasized his versatility. He listed former Patriots running back LeGarrette Blount as a player whose game he loves.
“Versatility, I take very much pride in,” Stevenson said. “I just try to be a complete back. That’s the main objective in my eyes. That’s what I’m going to try to get done.”
Stevenson will join a running back room with Brandon Bolden, Damien Harris, Sony Michel, J. J. Taylor, and James White. He will also be reunited with college team mate Ronnie Perkins, whom the Patriots drafted in the third round.
“We built a very strong bond,” Stevenson said of Perkins. “That’s really my guy. That’s my right hand. It’s crazy we got drafted to the same team. We were actually talking about that during the season, so it’s just crazy we manifested it. Now, we just got to go to work.”
In the fifth round, the Patriots selected McGrone with the 177th overall pick. As a junior last year, McGrone, 6-1 and 236 pounds, logged 26 tackles and a half-sack in five games before suffering a torn ACL.
As a sophomore, he appeared in all 13 games, recording 65 tackles, including nine for a loss, and 2.5 sacks. He also forced a fumble and broke up a pass.
In the sixth round, the Patriots continued to beef up their defensive depth by selecting Bledsoe with the 188th overall pick. Bledsoe played four seasons at Missouri, where he was a key member of the secondary.
Later in the sixth round, with the 197th overall pick, the Patriots drafted Sherman, who was a vital piece of Colorado’s offensive line last season, playing 98.4 percent of the team’s offensive snaps.