Cleveland Browns rookie running back Dylan Sampson made a great early impression by catching eight passes in his first game against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1 and catching a late touchdown pass in Week 2, but since fellow rookie Quinshon Judkins’ emergence, Sampson has been an afterthought.
Sampson has received just two touches over the past two weeks, and one team legend believes he has an idea why that may have been the case.
During a recent episode of The Top Dawgs Show, Hanford Dixon said he loves what he has seen from Judkins, but is curious about Sampson’s diminished role.
“I don’t think they trust Sampson as far as blocking on those blitzes, because you’re seeing (Jerome) Ford get a lot more time right now, and Sampson, he’s kind of disappeared a little bit.”
.@HanfordDixon29 LOVES what he's seeing from Quinshon Judkins, but what happened to Dylan Sampson? #DawgPound
"I don't think they trust Sampson as far as blocking."
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— The Top Dawgs Show (@TopDawgShow) October 4, 2025
Pass blocking is crucial for this team, as the offensive line surrendered 66 sacks last season and had a 40-year-old quarterback over the first four weeks, who definitely wasn’t built to take a lot of hits.
Left tackle Dawand Jones going out for the season with a torn LCL only exacerbated that issue, and Sampson being just 5’8″ and 200 pounds while showing lapses in pass protection could certainly be a red flag for the coaching staff, especially considering how he was heavily featured on passing downs over the first two weeks.
He just turned 21, so he is far from a finished product and can easily work on his issues, but it’s disappointing how quickly he has fallen out of the rotation since Judkins has caught on.
With rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel making his first start on Sunday, perhaps Sampson will see a little more time to snag some easy passes out of the backfield and make Gabriel more comfortable early on.
NEXT: Hanford Dixon Says 1 Browns Unit Has Been 'Terrible'
