It’s a new era in the Browns’ running back room.
Continuing our preview for Cleveland Browns training camp, we now shift our attention to the running backs.
1. Quinshon Judkins – Starting RB
Height: 5-11 | Weight: 221 lbs | Age: 21
Experience: Rookie | College: Ohio State
Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images
Back in 2018, the Browns selected Nick Chubb with the 35th overall pick of the draft. Sadly, due to injuries, the team moved on from the beloved running back. Moving on from Chubb became clearer in the 2025 draft, when they selected Ohio State’s Quinshon Judkins with the 36th overall pick.
Judkins was viewed as one of the running backs in this year’s class who would be ready-to-go as an impactful starter from Day 1, showing a great combination of power and speed, not to mention his elusiveness. Chubb lacked all of those things in his triumphant return to action last year, and even though it was a tough pill to swallow to move on from him, I get why the team preferred to find the next Chubb as opposed to hoping he could re-gain everything with another offseason of recovery.
Here is what Dane Brugler said about Judkins:
A one-year starter at Ohio State, Judkins shared running back duties in former offensive coordinator Chip Kelly’s diverse run game (gap/zone, pin-pulls, counters, etc.). He had one of the best two-year rushing stretches in SEC history while at Ole Miss. He then transferred to Columbus, Ohio, for the 2024 season and surpassed 1,000 yards rushing for the third straight year. He joined Ohio State because he wanted to win a national title, and he helped pay off that goal with three touchdowns in a championship-game victory over Notre Dame.
Judkins has quick eyes and footwork to react to the blocking geometry, although he often runs like he is starving and must balance his aggressive style with improved patience before attacking the line of scrimmage. His best traits are his play strength and the run toughness to drop his pads, barrel through heavy contact and come out the other side. Overall, Judkins isn’t as dynamic as other backs in this class, but he is an “attitude” runner with the quickness, vision and violence to be a productive lead option in an NFL backfield. He can help secure his spot on the depth chart by taking his passing-down responsibilities from serviceable to above average.
Whether Cleveland sees him as a three-down back right away remains to be seen. Additionally, they have more depth this year, with Jerome Ford showing he can catch the ball over the past two years, and also the selection of Dylan Sampson in the fourth round.
Final Roster Odds: 100%
2. Jerome Ford – Veteran RB
Height: 5-10 | Weight: 210 lbs | Age: 25
Experience: 4 years | College: Cincinnati
Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images
It’s funny to label Jerome Ford as a veteran running back when he is entering the final year of his rookie contract. With Chubb injured the majority of the past two seasons, Ford has picked up the load in the mean time. In 2023, Ford started 12 games, carrying the ball 204 times for 813 yards (4.0 YPC) and 4 touchdowns, to go along with 44 catches for 319 yards and 5 touchdowns. In 2024, he started 6 games, having 104 carries for 565 yards (5.4 YPC) and 3 touchdowns, to go along with 37 catches for 225 yards. Considering how much the Browns’ running game struggled last year, it’s astounding to see that he averaged 5.4 YPC. That number was somewhat inflated by runs of 62 and 66 yards in December; nonetheless, it shows his ability as a home-run hitter.
From the eye test, Ford never excelled at finding the best hole or overcoming deficiencies on the offensive line. For what he accomplished as a starter, though, it would be interesting to see him thrust into a reserve or receiving role. Does the team still value him high enough, though?
Back in January, I noted how three members of the Browns earned the Proven Performance Escalator: Ford, Alex Wright, and Martin Emerson. For Ford, that meant his base salary was being bumped from $1.1 million to about $3.325 million, an increase of $2.225 million. However, in May, the Browns restructured his contract to lower that amount to $1.7 million in base salary. I don’t like when a team lowers what’s intended to be a reward for a player. When they do so, it signals to me that the team says, “Hey, we’re going to cut you with this new amount because we don’t think you’re worth it, but we’ll keep you if you take a cut.” Also, the Browns did the same move with TE Harrison Bryant last offseason, and then ended up moving on from him.
Still, I think Ford sticks around in Cleveland as a backup, unless a team is willing to trade for him. I’m only lowering his roster odds to 90% because of the red flag of the team having lowered his salary.
Final Roster Odds: 90%
3. Dylan Sampson – Rookie RB
Height: 5-8 | Weight: 200 lbs | Age: 20
Experience: Rookie | College: Tennessee
Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images
In the fourth round of the draft, the Browns pulled off another surprise by selecting a second running back: Dylan Sampson of Tennessee, who certainly has a contrasting style from Quinshon Judkins. The fact that he slipped to the fourth round is likely due to his size at 5-8, but his abilities shined in college.
One weird thing is the discrepancy in his height. His college profile with Tennessee had him at 5-11, while the Browns have him at 5-8. Regardless, though, the part you have to love about the second paragraph in the assessment below from Pro Football Network is how he wins with instincts and quickness, and how it matches the blocking scheme Kevin Stefanski wants to implement:
Dylan Sampson enters the NFL with a rare blend of vision, burst, and discipline that makes him a strong candidate to contribute early. Despite being a one-year starter at Tennessee, Sampson shattered school records and emerged as one of the most productive backs in the country during the 2024 season, proving his playmaking ability could hold up against SEC competition.
At 5’11”, 190 pounds, Sampson doesn’t win with size — he wins with instincts and quickness. He’s especially effective in inside zone and gap schemes, both of which align well with Cleveland’s ground attack. While he’ll need to improve his ball security and pass protection, his speed, change of direction, and ability to run through arm tackles make him a potentially game-changing change of pace back alongside Quinshon Judkins.
Ford and Sampson both have the quickness, but Sampson’s instincts are what could bump him above Ford to form a dynamic rookie duo to start off the 2025 season, and is one of the top storylines to watch this training camp in my book.
Final Roster Odds: 100%