It’s no secret the Cleveland Browns are in need of a new running back now that Nick Chubb is hitting free agency and the team is coming off a year when they had the lowest-scoring offense in the NFL.
The No. 2 pick is obviously too high to select a new franchise back, but RB is certainly in play at pick No. 33 as one intriguing prospect was recently named as a potential fit for the Browns.
Lance Reisland of Cleveland.com recently wrote an article detailing some potential running backs the Browns could target in the draft, and he pointed out Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson as a fit due to his similarities to Chubb.
“Johnson’s body type and running style are very similar to Chubb. He is a first- and second-down back that will get the offense to third-and-manageable, preventing long yardage situations. This would allow Jerome Ford, who operates better from the shotgun formation, to focus on being the third down back, where his speed and big-play ability can be maximized,” Reisland wrote.
Reisland also noted how Johnson routinely faced seven or eight defenders in the box due to Iowa’s heavy run-first offense, yet still produced 1,537 yards and 21 touchdowns in 2024.
KALEB JOHNSON SHEDDING TACKLERS FOR 72 YARD TD pic.twitter.com/1ZWpzsgaFd
— Heavens! (@HeavensFX) November 30, 2024
The 33rd pick is likely a bit higher than Johnson is projected to go, but if he is still available in the third or fourth round, he’d make plenty of sense for this Browns team and fit well alongside Jerome Ford, who could slot in as the third-down back while Johnson eats on early downs.
A no-nonsense traditional running back who could follow in Chubb’s footsteps and make it feel like Chubb never left would be a huge boost for a team that scored just 15.2 points per game this past season.
The passing game was obviously a travesty in Cleveland in 2024-25, but things could have gone much better if there had been a more reliable running game to lean on.
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