Which 5 Cleveland Browns would be protected in an expansion draft
By Randy Gurzi
![Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (95) chats with teammates during an NFL football practice at the team's training facility, Tuesday, June 15, 2021, in Berea, Ohio. [Jeff Lange / Akron Beacon Journal]Browns 11](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape%2Fcover%2Fsport%2Fhttps-3A-2F-2Fdawgpounddaily-com-2Fwp-content-2Fuploads-2Fimagn-images-2F2018-2F08-2F16263263-850x560-a4d1c14fad70530f86ab049591bc4c17ee125b046b0c91c44bbcb4347a715631.jpg "Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (95) chats with teammates during an NFL football practice at the team's training facility, Tuesday, June 15, 2021, in Berea, Ohio. [Jeff Lange / Akron Beacon Journal]Browns 11")
4. Nick Chubb
In 2018, the Cleveland Browns added Georgia running back Nick Chubb with the 35th overall pick and since he’s joined the roster, he’s been one of the most consistent players on the team. He’s also the centerpiece of the offense heading into 2021 and while he’s entering the final year of his contract, he’s a player the Browns would have to protect in this make-believe expansion draft.
As a rookie, Chubb finished with 996 yards and eight touchdowns even though he wasn’t the primary starter for the first seven games of the season. Once he was the lead back, he went off and even ran a team-record 92-yard touchdown in a win over Atlanta.
In his second season, Chubb ran for 1,494 yards and eight scores — which had him second in the NFL in rushing. This past year, Chubb had his best yards-per-carry average, netting 5.6 yards per attempt. He did miss four games due to a knee injury but still had 1,067 yards and a personal-best 12 touchdowns.
For his career, Chubb has 3,557 yards and 28 touchdowns as he’s asserted himself as the best player on this offense. There’s no way Cleveland wouldn’t protect him in our fake expansion because he would be too hard to replace.