The Cleveland Browns had the worst offense in the NFL last season, scoring just 15.2 points per game and giving up 66 sacks while also having the worst turnover differential in the league.
An overlooked aspect of that poor offensive output was the lackluster running game that didn’t produce a single 100-yard rusher, which is why Nick Chubb was allowed to walk in free agency and Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson were drafted to replace him.
Jamey Eisenberg of CBS Sports recently ranked all the running backs in the league in tiers for fantasy football purposes, and while he acknowledged Judkins will likely have some competition for touches, he is high on the former Ohio State Buckeye and acknowledged there is a world where he dominates touches and has an incredible RB1 fantasy season.
“The competition for Judkins could be an issue with Jerome Ford and fellow rookie Dylan Sampson, or Judkins might completely dominate touches. We’ll have to see what happens in training camp, but I like Judkins as a borderline starter in all leagues. The Browns will hopefully use Judkins as a Nick Chubb replacement, and Judkins could have the chance for 300-plus touches,” Eisenberg wrote.
It’s unclear how the workload will be dispersed in this backfield, but it’s exciting to have a pair of explosive talents like Sampson and Judkins, both of whom routinely put up seasons of 1000+ yards at two of the biggest programs in college football.
Chubb is far from an easy guy to replace, but he took a major step back last season in his return from the gruesome knee injury he suffered early in 2023.
He averaged just 3.3 yards per carry, and while the subpar offensive line and passing games certainly could shoulder a lot of the blame for that lack of output, he never looked nearly as explosive as he had in years past.
Judkins and Sampson can reignite this backfield in a major way, and with the moves this front office has made this offseason to fortify this offense from a personnel standpoint, it looks as if the Browns are gearing up to run the ball more in 2025.
The wide receiver room didn’t see any significant upgrades, and the team spent a third-round pick on a tight end despite still having David Njoku, which would indicate Kevin Stefanski is ready to roll out some more two-tight-end sets and feed Judkins and Sampson.
Judkins will surely be a high pick in fantasy, but he could be worth it.
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