Pierre Strong

A 2022 fourth-round pick, Strong didn't get many opportunities last year in New England, finishing the season with 10 carries for 100 yards. But one of those rushes showed his trademark speed as he ripped off a 44-yard burst Week 14 against the Cardinals. Strong (5-11, 207) is a bit skinny for his height, which means his excellent athletic testing (4.37 40, 36-inch vertical, 124-inch broad jump) comes with the slight asterisk. The Patriots traded him to Cleveland in August a couple weeks after signing Ezekiel Elliott, giving Strong a new opportunity to carve out a role in a backfield with minimal experience behind the starter. It looks like only fellow 2022 draft pick Jerome Ford, a fifth-rounder, stands between Strong and the second spot on Cleveland's depth chart.

Despite his name, speed is the name of Strong's game, not power. The fourth-round pick out of South Dakota State opened eyes with a 4.37 40-yard dash at the 2022 Combine, the fastest time of any running back in this year's draft class. He showed good vision and elusiveness in college, albeit not against top-level competition, and his 10 career touchdowns of 50 or more yards show the speed translates in pads. While Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson are slated to share early down duties in the Patriots' backfield, the retirement of James White could offer Strong a path to a change-of-pace role in the team's offense if he impresses during the preseason.