There were a lot of rumors leading into the 2026 NFL Draft that the Cleveland Browns had significant interest in drafting Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love with the sixth overall pick. He never made it to them, but the rumors of that possibility were still somewhat disrespectful to the current RB room.
Second-year running back Quinshon Judkins had a strong rookie year in 2025 despite the team cycling through four different starting quarterbacks and a million different offensive line combinations. Some of the buzz around Love was likely due to Judkins’ severe ankle injury he suffered late last season, but he is already just about 100 percent and recently impressed everyone in the building at OTAs.
New head coach Todd Monken has previously raved about Judkins during OTAs and he continues to look better and better in his quest for redemption. A recent video shows Judkins as he ran through drills, and he looked like a running back ready to roll well in advance of Week 1.
a full 2.5 minutes of Q at work 😤 pic.twitter.com/qlS0f6VPND
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) June 4, 2026
Judkins ran for 827 yards and seven touchdowns as a rookie and was one of the few bright spots on offense. He also showed plenty of skill in the passing game with 26 receptions and most importantly, he had zero fumbles all season.
He looked every bit like the potential every-down back the team thought it was getting when he was selected out of Ohio State in the second round. With a revamped offensive line in front of him, a new quarterback, and an innovative offensive head coach, he could be primed for a significant breakout in 2026.
As gruesome as his injury was, he didn’t have any ligament damage so his recovery has gone smoothly. A clean broken bone always looks worse than it is, and it’s just exciting to see him back on the field already.
He’ll have every opportunity to lead this backfield again and establish himself as the next bellcow in what could be an intriguing young offense under Monken.
NEXT: Insider Shares Intriguing Developments In Browns' QB Competition
