The Cleveland Browns found a true star in Quinshon Judkins. He was another byproduct of the Travis Hunter trade, and he looks like the type of player any team would want to build an offense around.

He wasn’t as efficient with Dillon Gabriel at the helm because of the lack of a vertical passing threat. But now that Shedeur Sanders poses a major threat in that regard, the rookie out of Ohio State could be a huge factor again.

That’s why Robert Saleh will be keeping an eye on him.

Talking ahead of Sunday’s road clash with the Browns, the San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator had nothing but praise for Judkins:

“We only have a game-and-a-half to go off of, but they’re going to run the ball,” Saleh said. “No one’s really giving the young man attention and that’s the back. He’s freaking good. I don’t want to mispronounce his name, number 10 (Quinshon Judkins). He’s really good.”

Keeping Sanders Upright Starts With Getting Judkins Going

With Coach Saleh back in the Bay Area, the Niners have gotten back to their dominant defensive ways. That’s going to spell trouble for Sanders, who has a tendency to hold onto the ball for too long and take unnecessary sacks.

That being said, the rookie out of Colorado did a better job with that in the win over the Las Vegas Raiders. Kevin Stefanski and Tommy Rees had a good game plan set up for him, and he executed well more often than not.

That will be crucial to get Judkins going on Sunday. More than that, it can also help get Dylan Sampson some additional touches, as he’s a big-play threat with his craftiness and pass-catching skills out of the backfield.

The Browns’ offense is still a work in progress at best.

Still, they should have a chance to do good things for as long as Judkins gets going.