Browns running back Nick Chubb ranked No. 1 in the NFL

In the 2018 NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns took three players before selecting Nick Chubb out of Georgia at No. 35. Two of those selections are gone as Baker Mayfield (No. 1 overall) was traded last season. Austin Corbett (No. 33 overall) is also gone, but he lasted just over one year before being traded.

That leaves Chubb and Denzel Ward (No. 4 overall) as the only players standing from that class. And while Ward has been everything they hoped for, Chubb has far exceeded expectations and is easily their best selection from that offseason.

It's not just Cleveland fans who feel this way either. Chubb has been praised by his peers, with Derrick Henry once calling him the best running back in the game. Now, Trevor Sikkema from Pro Football Focus has gone on record saying the same thing.

In his recent running back rankings, Sikkema has Chubb standing on top of the mountain and praises his consistency as a runner.

"Chubb takes the top honor here for his consistency. He’s never posted a rushing grade below 80.0, and his most recent grade of 90.7 in 2022 was a career high. Along with being one of the most physically gifted backs, he regularly forces missed tackles at one of the highest rates in the NFL and ranks near the top in yards-per-carry average."

- Sikkema, PFF

Chubb enters his sixth NFL season and already has 6,341 yards and 48 touchdowns. That puts him fourth in team history already with just Mike Pruitt, Leroy Kelly, and the legendary Jim Brown ahead of him.

In recent years, running backs have worn down as they get into year six and beyond. The good news is, Chubb hasn't shown any signs of this happening and if he can continue to perform at a high level, he could find himself as high as No. 2 in team history before long (with an outside shot at No. 1 if he can play for another five-to-six years).