The Cleveland Browns offense has a plethora of questions entering the 2025 NFL season.
Will one of the rookie quarterbacks on the roster start any games this season? Who will emerge as a reliable pass catcher alongside Jerry Jeudy and David Njoku? Can the offensive line rejoin the ranks of the best units in the NFL in 2025? These all feel like legitimate questions.
Yet, the biggest question entering the NFL season for fantasy football managers attempting to invest draft capital into this backfield is which running back will take the lead in this uninspiring offense in 2025?
Browns RB Room Described as a ‘Nightmare’ for Fantasy Managers in 2025
Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report did not exactly paint an optimistic view of the Browns’ backfield entering the 2025 NFL season in a recent article.
“We might as well start in Cleveland. After all, it is the birthplace of nightmares,” Davenport wrote. “Judkins was arrested in the offseason for domestic violence, and while the case was eventually dropped, he could still face discipline from the NFL. Due in part to that looming suspension, he remains unsigned, and there’s no timetable for that to be resolved. In fact, recent reports indicate Cleveland is in the market for a veteran ball-carrier.”
If the Browns do take to the open market to add a veteran back ahead of the 2025 NFL season, it would only further muddy the waters for what the touch distribution would look like for this backfield this year.
Davenport added, “As things stand, fourth-year pro Jerome Ford (who led the team in rushing a year ago) is expected to start Week 1, with Sampson (who is explosive but undersized) mixing in as a change of pace.”
Ford has produced 1,922 total yards and 12 total touchdowns over the last two seasons. Ford has proven he can be a productive back in the NFL. Yet, the organization likely wouldn’t have selected a pair of running backs in the 2025 NFL Draft if they felt confident he could be a plus-level feature back in the league.
Dylan Sampson is an explosive back who had a ton of success during his time with the Tennessee Volunteers, but hasn’t done much this preseason to convince the coaching staff he should be the lead back entering the season.
How Quinshon Judkins Offseason Legal and Contract Situations Could Impact His Outlook in 2025
This brings us back to Quinshon Judkins, who has had a very tumultuous offseason entering his rookie season. In addition to the legal situation that popped up earlier this summer, Judkins has been in a contract squabble with the Browns throughout training camp.
Davenport added, “But with no idea of when Judkins might sign and the possibility of a veteran addition in the days to come, there isn’t a single Browns back being taken in the top 100 picks on average in fantasy drafts.”
When the Browns took Judkins at No. 36 overall in the NFL Draft, they likely had big plans for the Ohio State product for 2025. Unfortunately, his outlook is cloudy at best entering the season.
Judkins produced 4,227 total yards and 50 touchdowns over his three years at the collegiate level. His blend of athleticism, size, and physicality project favorably as a potential leading back in the NFL.
Whether Judkins signs before Week 1 or not, he is likely to get off to a slow start this season. The sooner Judkins gets on the field, the quicker he can become the player Browns envisioned when they spent Day 2 draft capital on him earlier this year.
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