Carolina Panthers met with 48-TD National Champion at running back

The Panthers are showing a surprising amount of interest in running backs this year despite a loaded backfield.

Ohio State Buckeyes running back TreVeyon Henderson (32) scores a touchdown on a 75-yard touchdown catch and run against Texas Longhorns in the second quarter of the Cotton Bowl Classic during the College Football Playoff semifinal game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on January, 10, 2025. / Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

At first glance it seems like the Carolina Panthers shouldn't need any more help at running back this year, aside from an odd undrafted free agent or two to round out the bottom end of their rotation. With Chuba Hubbard they have a top-10 starter at the position who's still in his prime. Rico Dowdle will probably be the best backup RB in the world this year and Raheem Blackshear is also returning, although likely for a mostly-special teams role.

However, if this is true the Panthers are showing an awful lot of interest in the 2025 NFL draft class at running back. They've met with several high-end prospects already, including Ohio State's TreVeyon Henderson, per Fox Sports NFL insider Jordan Schultz.

Henderson (5-foot-10, 207 pounds) is coming off a supremely productive four-year career at Ohio State, where he racked up 3,761 rushing yards on 590 carries (6.4 yards per attempt) and scored 42 rushing touchdowns. He added another 77 catches, 853 yards and six scores as a receiver.

According to the consensus rankings, Henderson is the third-best running back prospect in this class behind Boise State superstar Ashton Jeanty and North Carolina's Omarion Hampton. He is proejcted to come off the board sometime in the second round.

Henderson is an undeniably great prospect, and it's not a stretch to think that Jonathon Brooks' career in the NFL might already be cooked. That said, investing another second-round pick at this spot would be questionable to say the least by GM Dan Morgan. If they are planning to target another rookie running back, they should wait until Day 3.

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