Cleveland Browns roster: 3 backups who will see most time in 2021

1. Kareem Hunt, Running Back

There’s no argument to be had; Hunt is hands-down the best backup running back in the NFL, and is one of, if not the best backup at any position. He’d start for most other teams, and last time he was a featured back, he was a top-five runner who totaled over 1,200 yards and 14 touchdowns in just 11 games.

The Browns offense will continue to evolve in 2021, and that means that Baker Mayfield should rank much higher than 17th in pass attempts, but even if passing is much more efficient than running (and it is), Cleveland should and will utilize Nick Chubb and Hunt often.

There is something to be said about enforcing one’s will on a defense, and with the league’s best offensive line and two top-10 backs, the Browns can do that. It has to be incredibly demoralizing for a defense to see Chubb trot off the field in the fourth quarter just to watch Hunt replace him.

Hunt touched the ball 236 times last season, a number inorganically high because of Chubb’s knee injury that forced him to miss four games. Hunt will probably tote the rock fewer than 200 times this season, perhaps under 150, but that doesn’t mean he still can’t be extremely effective.