Nick Chubb remains a free agent and the Cleveland Browns still have a decision to make on if they will bring him back into the fold.
Cleveland won’t make that decision until after the draft most likely because they don’t have a full outlook on what the running back room could look like. As of right now, Jerome Ford is the starting running back and Pierre Strong Jr. is the backup.
The Browns must draft a running back, it is just a matter of when they decide to do so. Cleveland is set to meet with a running back who could step in and be the starting guy from Day 1 potentially.
Cleveland Browns to meet with Ohio State RB Quinshon Judkins
According to Jordan Schultz, the Browns are one team that will meet with Quinshon Judkins in the near future. Judkins has already met with the Dallas Cowboys and will meet with the Cincinnati Bengals, Houston Texans, Denver Broncos, and New York Giants.
Cleveland can’t depend on Chubb to be the guy any longer even if they decide to bring him back. The two season-ending injuries look large and he looked like a shell of his former self last year when he was on the field. If the Browns take a running back in the first three rounds of what is a loaded running back class, that player is likely to be a future starter for the Browns, at least that should be the plan.
Judkins had 1,060 rushing yards on 5.5 yards per carry with the Buckeyes last season while splitting touchdowns with TreVeyon Henderson. Judkins is a physical running back with a 4.48 40-yard dash, who can operate as a pass-catching running back as well. Judkins is a capable pass blocker and isn’t a player who will need to come off of the field outside of getting a breather.
Before the National Championship season at Ohio State, Judkins ran for 2,725 yards and 31 rushing touchdowns with Ole Miss. Judkins was a freshman All-American and figures to be one of the first three to five running backs off of the draft board.
Plenty of Ohio State fans root for the Browns by default, so Cleveland taking a trip down 71 to find their running back of the future would make a large part of Buckeye Nation happy. It is a fit on paper, we’ll see if the Browns make it happen.
