The Cleveland Browns thought they struck gold when Quinshon Judkins, fresh off missing time in the preseason, averaged 6.1 yards per carry in his debut against the Baltimore Ravens in 2025. He showed the same elusiveness and patience that made him a star at Ohio State.
Given their struggles at quarterback, the Browns put the ball in Judkins' hands early and often throughout his rookie season. His production, however, slowly but steadily diminished.
Judging any running back under those circumstances would be unfair. But now, after the Browns' new-look offensive line excelled in the run-blocking game, Judkins' 2.8 yards-per-carry average in Week 1 is definitely alarming.
After all this time, were Judkins' struggles on him all along?
Browns' improved offensive line leaves Quinshon Judkins with nowhere to hide
Dating back to Week 5 of last season, Judkins hasn't averaged over 4.0 yards per carry in a single game. He's logged 170 carries for 513 yards and 3.0 yards per attempt. He did score five touchdowns, but three came in one game and two came in another.
Judkins didn't have another 100-yard game during that span, and he topped 70 yards only three times, with only one of those games seeing him average over 3.8 yards per attempt. He was also held under 30 yards in three consecutive games before his season-ending injury in Week 16.
Again, he was dealing with one of the worst quarterback and play-calling situations in the league, behind an aging and banged-up offensive line. All of Cleveland's 2025 starters are either retired, unsigned, or backups.
But per ESPN's Daniel Oyefusi, the Browns ranked seventh in run-block win rate in their 34-10 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1.
Defenses focused on Judkins last season because they knew he was one of the Browns' biggest offensive threats. He did get chances against the Jaguars, logging 12 carries, but he only gained 33 scoreless yards.
Judkins is too talented not to get back on track. While he's not the fastest guy out there, his physicality and ability to find gaps on the second level of the defense made him look like Nick Chubb's heir apparent early on.
He got a pass during his rookie season, but if the offensive line continues to hold its own, there's simply no room for excuses.
Perhaps Week 1 was just a fluke. Maybe Judkins just needed to shake off the rust after his injury layoff before returning to his early 2025 form.
Still, the Browns' running game is a legitimate concern and something to keep close tabs on in the coming weeks, especially with Dylan Sampson on injured reserve.
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