Cleveland Browns: Is Nick Chubb the best running back in the NFL?

Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb is one of the best running backs in the NFL? But is he actually the best in the league? Mina Kimes says yes

Running backs in today’s NFL game are a dime a dozen. Most often, teams draft one, use him until they can’t anymore, and then dump them, just to find another to replace him. There are a handful of running backs, however, that transcend that trend, such as Nick Chubb for the Cleveland Browns or Derrick Henry for the Tennessee Titans.

On ESPN’s NFL Live on Tuesday, Mina Kimes stated that Nick Chubb is the best running back in the NFL. The list compiled included many of the great backs in the league, including Derrick Henry, Alvin Kamara, and Dalvin Cook.

Kimes stated that while most arguments start with Henry at the top of the list, she had Chubb higher rated. It’s important to note that this list was compiled from the mindset of building a team around one of these players in the backfield. It’s evident that Chubb’s ability to do it all made a strong impact on her as she compiled the list.

The reaction to the list is exactly what you’d expect from any list you would find on Twitter, as people with differing opinions came swarming in to argue. But the argument Kimes makes is valid, and leaves one questioning: Is Chubb really the best running back in the NFL, and if so, why doesn’t he get more attention?

The first reaction most everyone will say is “Because it’s the Browns, and everyone hates the Browns.” I don’t think that’s entirely it, though. While the Browns have been a historically bad franchise since 1999, they have had good players, and said players have gotten recognition as the best at their position.

I think the thing against Chubb that leaves him behind Henry and others, in some eyes at least, is the rotation he has with fellow Browns running back Kareem Hunt. The formidable one-two punch is in a heavy rotation with each other for carries and snaps out of the Browns backfield, and that could lead to one being less discussed.

Even while splitting time with Hunt, though, Chubb has flourished and proven himself to be among the best rushers in the league. Although he only played in 12 games in 2020 due to injury Chubb still finished in the top seven in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns.

Chubb has proven that when healthy, he’s a force to be reckoned with, even in a rotating backfield. His versatility and burst to find holes and make explosive runs is exactly why he’s the best running back in the league, as pointed out by Mina Kimes.

If the Cleveland Browns believe Chubb is the best running back in the league, they’ll have a chance to prove it, as Chubb’s big payday is coming soon. For a young team that’s Super Bowl window is just now opening, they should keep trying to build around the best player at his position.

They just need to find a way to pay Nick Chubb, without overpaying for Nick Chubb.