NFL.com Offers Bold Prediction on Patriots' MVP for 2024 Season

Who will have the biggest impact on the New England Patriots this year?

Jun 10, 2024; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson (38) walks to the practice fields for minicamp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports / Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

We're nearing closer and closer to the 2024 NFL season, meaning some predictions for what's to come across the next year are starting to follow.

For the New England Patriots, the landscape seems a bit tougher to project than the rest of the crowd. This team will finally embark on the first season post-Bill Belichick as rookie head coach Jerod Mayo takes the reigns, and third-overall pick of this year's draft, QB Drake Maye, is in the fold to be a foundational cornerstone of this roster for years to come.

The changes in Foxboro are exciting, but the expectations for how this squad will perform during the first year of these adjustments are still a bit foggy.

After a rough 4-13 output the season prior, the radical shift into returning to one of the top threats in the NFL once again will be an extensive one to make, and it may end up taking a few years for those pieces to come to form.

However, that's not to say that this roster is void of talent. New England still has several difference-makers on both sides of the ball that could give this roster much more optimism heading into 2024.

Among those players that could be in to have a major impact this coming season is fourth-year RB Rhamondre Stevenson, who NFL.com predicts to be the Patriots' MVP for the coming year:

"Stevenson is fresh off an underwhelming campaign himself. But two years ago, he was one of the few reliable producers for a stagnant New England offense, totaling 1,461 yards from scrimmage, and he might have to be the workhorse once again in 2024. He's a quality downhill runner and capable receiver who could thrive in an Alex Van Pelt system. The former Browns offensive coordinator oversaw four straight top-12 rushing attacks in Cleveland, spearheaded by bigger backs in the Stevenson mold, so Rhamondre's my MVP flier for now, while the rest of the offense remains a deconstructed ship in a bottle. "

- Eric Edholm, NFL.com

Stevenson made headlines this offseason when he and New England agreed on a four-year contract extension, keeping him in town until 2029. The former fourth-round pick can further enmesh himself into the Patriots' long-term offensive plans by having a bounce-back year from his previous campaign.

During his three seasons in Foxboro, Stevenson has posted 3,047 scrimmage yards, along with 25 combined touchdowns on his way to becoming a top option in this Patriots' arsenal. Thanks to the addition of Alex Van Pelt this spring, that opportunity as a lead back in this offense can only increase.

Van Pelt was the mind behind the Cleveland Browns' dominant rushing attack for the past four seasons led by Nick Chubb, and will now try and translate that into a Patriots unit desperate for a spark. Stevenson could be the man to make that much-needed jump happen, setting the table for a potentially monster year in the backfield.

While Maye and the rest of this receiving core can fill out, New England can lean on a dependable and strong run game to help move the needle on offense. Stevenson has proven capable as a 1,000-yard rusher in 2022, and the goal will be to reclaim that firepower heading into year one of this new-look Patriots group.

Simply put, expect Stevenson to have a significant role in the Patriots' success in 2024.

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