The Facts: Judging by the looks of the Patriots' current depth chart, 2023 is shaping up to be Stevenson's year. Without a clear-cut second option behind him, Stevenson will need to shoulder a majority of the backfield load in his third NFL season. A former Patriot believes, however, that it might not be as one-sided as it appears. "It almost reminds me of before I got to the Patriots when they had Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen [in the early 2010s], and Danny Woodhead, Kevin Faulk and others were gone," former Patriots runner James White said, via ESPN. "Back then it was like, 'This is your backfield now.' I feel like that's the transition there now."

Diehards Line: Last season, Stevenson broke 200 carries and 1,000 rushing yards for the first time in his NFL career, scoring five touchdowns for a second straight season and confirming he could be a reliable runner for Bill Belichick's squad. "It's not so often as a Patriots running back that you're out there that many snaps," White said of Stevenson, who played 66 percent of the snaps at running back in 2022. "Bill loves that guy, so he just has to capitalize on the opportunity." The range of possible outcomes is wide in 2023. New England returns a group headlined by Stevenson. The rest of the room, however, is green, save for veteran Ty Montgomery, who has bounced around five teams in his eight-year NFL career. Stevenson carried much of the load in 2022, seeing 279 total touches. Belichick could lean on Stevenson just as much in 2023, but based on his history, it's unlikely. Perhaps there's room to make an addition at running back, especially with a handful of talented veterans available in an unusually deflated market. We'll be watching for more on that.