Cleveland Browns running back Quinshon Judkins had a solid rookie year despite being put in a nearly impossible situation, and even after enduring a brutal lower leg injury and having to listen to rumors that the Browns were going to draft Jeremiyah Love for a few months, he has come out the other side stronger than ever. He looked outstanding in OTAs and is in a position to be the focal point of what should be a much-improved offense in 2026.
It was easy for the casual NFL fan to gloss over the year Judkins had as a rookie because the Browns had the league’s worst offense again and Judkins began the year suspended and ended it on IR. However, he could be a true breakout star in Todd Monken’s offense and one analyst recently discussed how he believes Judkins can announce himself to the league as a legitimate star.
During a recent episode of Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show, Adam Gerstenhaber spoke highly of Judkins but pushed back on the likelihood of him becoming a top-ten back this season. He believes there’s a chance he could enter that upper echelon, but it all starts and ends with him staying healthy.
“I mean, it’s gonna be hard [for Judkins to crack the Top 10 RB list] because all those guys are really good. A.) He’s got to stay healthy for the whole season. B.) He might need one of those guys to not stay healthy for the season because they’re all more accomplished backs. Could a couple of those guys start going over the cliff? Absolutely. It happens all the time,” Gerstenhaber said.
Gerstenhaber touched on this because ESPN recently released their list of the top ten running backs in the NFL. Spots six through ten listed Derrick Henry, James Cook, De’Von Achane, Kenneth Walker, and Breece Hall, so there’s not much of a case at the moment for Judkins to be ranked over any of them.
That doesn’t mean he can’t crack the list in 2026. As good as those guys are, a 1,200-yard season would have put Judkins firmly in the top ten in the league in rushing yards.
That should be a realistic statistical target for him in 2026. Roughly 1,200 yards and ten touchdowns would be outstanding output for the sophomore sensation and would justify Todd Monken making him the focal point on offense.
Judkins’ injury was a fluke and shouldn’t have anybody concerned that it might be a recurring thing for the young RB. It’s encouraging that he looked like himself already at OTAs and he should be ready to roll well before Week 1 rolls around and he begins his quest to crack the top ten.
NEXT: Quinshon Judkins' Rookie Numbers Are More Impressive Than You Think
