Browns rushing attack to be led by Nick Chubb, several unknowns

John Kelly Jr. getting his chance with the Browns?

John Kelly Jr. is a four-year NFL veteran with only 32 carries in his entire career. He spent his first two seasons with the Rams after being drafted in the sixth round of the NFL draft.

The bulk of his carries were during his rookie campaign when Kelly Jr. rushed 27 times for 74 yards, a 2.7 yard per carry average. Kelly had only two receptions, but one did go for a touchdown. He only touched the ball three times in 2019 and then was waived on Sept. 4, 2020, only to be signed to the Browns' practice squad five days later. Kelly would spend the entire 2020 season on the practice squad.

The veteran back has spent the 2021 and 2022 campaigns with the Browns bouncing from the practice squad to the active roster, appearing in five games for Cleveland. Can anyone really think a breakout campaign is on the horizon?

Even his college numbers don't jump off the page. Kelly totaled 327 carries for 1,573 yards and 15 touchdowns for the Tennessee Volunteers. He did show the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield with 37 catches in his final collegiate season and 43 overall.

With a non-descript college career and multiple NFL seasons on and off NFL rosters, counting on Kelly Jr. to be anything but a special teams player may be foolish. What if injuries start to stack up in the backfield? Is John Kelly Jr. the back you want your season to hinge on? Let's hope we don't have to find out.