The Cleveland Browns had one thing going for them entering the 2026 league year: immediate opportunity for the top free agent offensive linemen, especially those capable of playing multiple positions. The only real question was whether guys would be drawn to a Browns roster that lacked stability at quarterback, wide receiver — and just about every position group outside of running back and tight end.
Judging by the Browns’ round of introductory press conferences on Friday, the team had one key draw, and it wasn't new head coach Todd Monken or intriguing second-year quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
Cleveland’s two new enforcers for the offensive line, Zion Johnson and Elgton Jenkins, both mentioned the same player — running back Quinshon Judkins — while speaking separately about their impressions of the Browns entering free agency.
“I just remember during the season I was watching one of the games that the Browns were playing, and I saw this young running back that just looked electric," Johnson said. "And I thought, man, if I had the opportunity to block for somebody like that, the sky’s the limit.”
That back, of course, was Judkins, who finished his rookie season with 827 rushing yards and seven touchdowns before suffering a brutal leg injury during Cleveland’s Week 16 home game against Buffalo. He’s expected to be cleared by the start of training camp this summer, and he’ll be running behind a new-look group of linemen who are eager to block for him.
Judkins also made an impression on Jenkins when the Browns upset his former Green Bay Packers, 13-10, at Huntington Bank Field in Week 3. Judkins finished that game with 94 rushing yards on 18 carries, but did most of his damage in the fourth quarter with the Browns trailing 10-0. He had back-to-back runs of 14 and 38 yards to set up an Andre Szmyt field goal that put Cleveland on the board, and later punched in his first career touchdown to tie the game.
“Just seeing Quinshon run the ball last year, it was very motivating to come here and just have a running back like that who just runs with such confidence, power, and the speed he got,” Jenkins said. “So I definitely think their record last year doesn’t show the team that we have, and it’s our job to come in and expect to win, and do that.”
Quinshon Judkins’ stock is at an all-time high entering 2026
Judkins’ injury is clearly a concern. He suffered a fractured fibula and dislocated ankle in late December, so how ready he’ll be to go full speed by the start of camp is merely a guess at this point.
He’s clearly set to be the focal point of the Browns’ offense this season, though. The Baltimore Ravens, with Monken as offensive coordinator, ran the football at a higher clip than any team in the NFL over the past two seasons.
Year 1 of the Monken era will likely be defined by protecting the ball, minimizing mistakes, and leaning on one of the league’s most complete defenses, which should be able to force opponents into some bad football. The Deshaun Watson vs. Shedeur Sanders debates will undoubtedly dominate the summer headlines, but no Browns fan is expecting to see a high-flying offense in 2026. The clear objective right now is to rebuild the roster from the trenches out, and focus on getting young players on the field while the team’s complicated salary cap situation reaches more normal levels in the coming years.
Judkins’ injury isn’t what stopped him from reaching 1,000 yards as a rookie — it was his patchwork offensive line that struggled to open up running lanes over the latter part of the season. Things are trending in a much better direction on that front now, and all signs point to the Browns featuring their dynamic young running back out of the chute this year, while the rest of Monken’s offense begins to take shape.