Not a lot went right for the Cleveland Browns during this past season. However, a shining bright spot was the performance of an outstanding rookie class from the 2025 NFL Draft.
Every one of those picks played a positive role, and some showed the potential of becoming stars in the league. The class was highlighted by linebacker Carson Schwesinger, who is the favorite to win Defensive Rookie of the Year when the NFL hands out its awards during Super Bowl Weekend.
On the other side of the ball, the Browns’ offense received a huge boost from running back Quinshon Judkins, who, like Schwesinger, was a second-round choice. However, Judkins’ arrival was delayed while he was facing a legal matter and working through his contract negotiations.
Next season, he will be facing another unfortunate hurdle as he’ll be returning from a serious leg injury. He had surgery in December, but he is expected to be ready for training camp after missing it last season.
NFL insider James Palmer recently revealed what he’s hearing about Judkins after his rookie season, saying the Browns are “excited” to see what he can do with a full camp to prepare for the 2026 campaign.
“The thing that I heard out of Cleveland was, ‘Look at what he went and did this rookie year, and he didn’t play a snap in training camp.’ Not a snap of training camp. So they are excited about what they saw out of the rookie running back out of Ohio State,” Palmer said.
That optimism has to be even greater with Todd Monken as the Browns’ new head coach. As offensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens for the past three seasons, Monken helped develop the best rushing attack in the league.
After making his NFL debut in Week 2, Judkins immediately emerged as a potential contender for Offensive Rookie of the Year. His first 100-yard game capped an excellent four-game stretch to begin his career.
However, he was tailing off toward the end of the season, failing to reach 30 yards in his final three contests, including his Week 16 injury. That drop-off could have been caused by fatigue, which may have had at least a little to do with his lack of training camp way back in the summer.
Now, if his rehab is successful, Judkins should be ready to go and heading toward an even better second year in the league.
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