The Cleveland Browns have leaned heavily into building around Quinshon Judkins this offseason, and NFL.com’s Kevin Patra believes that investment could pay off with an MVP-caliber season from the second-year running back. In a recent piece identifying one non-quarterback MVP candidate from every AFC team, Patra singled out Judkins as Cleveland’s representative, pointing to both the flashes he showed as a rookie and the clear organizational commitment to featuring him heavily as the offense takes shape under Todd Monken.
Patra laid out exactly why Judkins projects for such a significant workload increase this season.
“The offensive line revamp will have plenty to do with how successful Judkins is in 2026, but the flashes he displayed as a rookie portend a significant jump. The Browns didn’t add significant competition to the RB room, content to ride Judkins and Dylan Sampson. The situation suggests Judkins should handle a massive share of the workload. We know head coach Todd Monken wants to run that ball, and given the options at QB, the club should lean on the second year back heavily, particularly out of the gate, until the passing game catches up,” Patra wrote.
Judkins’ rookie numbers offer a reasonable foundation for this kind of optimism. He carried the ball 230 times for 827 yards and seven touchdowns, adding 26 receptions for 171 yards through the air, production that came on a struggling offense that finished 5-12 and dealt with significant instability at quarterback throughout the season.
The Browns appear content running the offense through Judkins and Dylan Sampson, a decision that signals real organizational confidence in his ability to handle a featured role. That kind of workload commitment often correlates directly with the volume needed to post the kind of gaudy statistical season that MVP-caliber campaigns typically require, even for non-quarterbacks.
With the quarterback competition between Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders still unresolved heading into camp, establishing an effective, high-volume running game offers a level of offensive stability that does not depend on solving every question at the sport’s most unpredictable position.
If the retooled offensive line performs as hoped and Judkins receives the workload Patra projects, Cleveland’s running back could quickly become one of the most productive and valuable players in the entire conference, regardless of how the quarterback situation ultimately resolves.
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