Browns Find Nick Chubb Replacement in Second Round

The Cleveland Browns used their second pick in the second round on Friday to select Quinshon Judkins, potentially securing their successor to Nick Chubb.

After going defense with their first two picks, the Browns added a playmaker in Judkins, who will fortify what was a shaky backfield in Cleveland. Judkins was a big producer during his college career, first at Ole Miss and then Ohio State. He rushed for 3,785 yards and 45 touchdowns over three college seasons.

Judkins helped himself at the NFL Combine, running a 4.48-second 40-yard dash. ESPN analyst Louis Riddick loved the pick for Cleveland.

“He’s like Nick Chubb with even more speed,” Riddick said. “He’s made for the Cleveland Browns and made for northern Ohio with his between-the-tackles, downhill punishing style. And he has homerun speed at 4.38. If he can play at that speed in the open field, he’s going to be an absolute menace.”

Quinshon Judkins Known for ‘Chaotic’ Running Style

Here was the breakdown on Judkins from Lance Zierlein of NFL.com, who projected the Ohio State product to be a second-round pick.

“Judkins is a productive runner possessing good size and great contact aggression. His running style is both urgent and a bit chaotic. He runs with good burst inside but is more collision-based than wiggle-oriented when maneuvering through the lane,” Zierlein said. “He’s efficient on runs outside the tackle box, but he has a tough time outracing pursuit to create explosive runs. He is wired and built for a heavier carry count and short-yardage success, but the disparity in yards per carry between Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson, despite running behind the same line, is telling. Judkins might need to be paired with a slasher, but he has the ingredients needed to become a three-down RB1.”

Judkins joins a backfield that includes Jerome Ford and Pierre Strong Jr. He will likely be in the mix to start out of the gate.

Earlier in the draft, the Browns selected defensive tackle Mason Graham (No. 5 overall) and linebacker Carson Schwesinger (No. 33).

Nick Chubb’s Return to Browns More Uncertain After Pick

There has been some talk about Chubb returning to the Browns, but it appears unlikely after the Judkins pick. Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski recently dodged a question about a reunion with Chubb, who remains a free agent.

“Yeah, I’m not going to get into specifics on those things,” Stefanski said in his pre-draft media availability. “I think you guys have heard me talk about Nick quite a bit, what I think about the person and the player. Obviously I think very highly of him.”

When healthy, Chubb has been one of the most reliable and productive backs in the NFL. In his last fully healthy campaign, the four-time Pro Bowler shouldered a heavy workload, rushing for 1,525 yards and 12 touchdowns on 302 carries, averaging 5.0 yards per attempt.

But injuries have diminished his once-elite status. Chubb has finished the last two seasons on injured reserve. He finished the year with just 332 rushing yards on 102 carries and three touchdowns. Chubb averaged a career-low 3.3 yards per carry.