CLEVELAND, Ohio — Browns left guard Joel Bitonio sees a franchise player running behind him, and he would know from watching four-time Pro Bowl selection Nick Chubb burst through gaps for seven years.
Remember Chubb, Cleveland’s third all-time leading rusher and rushing touchdown scorer? Second only to Hall of Fame inductee Jim Brown in yards per attempt? The Batman to a broken franchise?
He signed with the Texans this offseason. Broke Cleveland’s heart to see him go. But in a city that longs after former stars like exes, we haven’t heard much (if any) commotion about Chubb’s exit this season.
Probably helps that the Browns have cloned him.
“They’re both great running backs,” Bitonio said of Chubb and Judkins after Sunday’s 31-6 win over the Dolphins. “They’re both big enough to carry the ball 20 times, 25 times a game, to make cuts.
“I think they fall forward, which is, you know, sometimes it’s not blocked great, and you pick them up and say, ‘Oh, we got three yards there. We got four yards there.’ ... And then both will have that breakaway ability, you know, that they find a little sliver, and then they’re down the sideline.”
They’re both about the same size, actually. Judkins (5-11, 221 pounds) is only six pounds lighter than Chubb (5-11, 227 pounds). And the similarities run deeper from there.
Judkins ran a slightly faster 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine this spring (4.48 seconds) than Chubb did in 2018 (4.52 seconds). And Judkins forced more missed tackles in college (192 compared to 178) on fewer rushing attempts (739 compared to 758). But the differences are hard to notice on days like Sunday, when Judkins ran for 84 yards and three touchdowns.
When the Browns lose, as they often do, they remind us of all the pieces they’re missing from a winning roster. But when they win, they show us what they have. And what Cleveland has in Judkins is a franchise running back.
They’re real — ask Bitonio — and they matter in the AFC North. Since 2000, the Ravens and Steelers rank first and third in rushing attempts leaguewide. Since 2020, Cleveland has run the ball third-most often in the league.
This division, which plays many games in the kind of wet, windy weather we saw against Miami, values the run game. And that makes this running back a perfect fit for a team trying to win the North.
After Sunday’s game, Judkins is the fourth rookie in team history (Chubb, Trent Richardson, William Green) with 468 yards and five touchdowns in any six-game span. He’s the first to do it during the first six games of his career. And it’s worth noting here that Judkins missed all of training camp (plus one regular season game) while the NFL investigated his domestic violence arrest (Judkins faced no charges).
Imagine what he could do with a full offseason.
“I was talking to him about that,” Bitonio said. “I was like, he came in in great shape. And he said he had his own little schedule of stuff where he was working out like three times a day and making sure he was in great shape.
“Since he stepped foot in Berea, he’s been in great shape. He’s been I think ready for the 20, 25, touches he gets a game.”
And he turns 22 later this month.
Think just three years ahead. By the time Judkins turns 25, the Browns offensive line, which ranks 23rd in Pro Football Focus’ run-blocking grade this season, could be rebuilt. Cleveland’s pass game, which has now completed two (2) 20-plus yard passes in three games with Dillon Gabriel at quarterback, will have added receivers and drafted another quarterback (or two). As for Judkins himself, I’ll let coach Kevin Stefanski state the obvious for me.
“Young players get better,” Stefanski said Sunday. They learn from mistakes, and it’s our job to coach them up. So, he’s a young player that we think very highly of, but I think he will only get better.”
Scary thought considering Judkins is already Cleveland’s best offensive player. He’s scored five of their 11 touchdowns while playing six of their seven games (technically five with a full workload). And he’s on pace for over 1,300 rushing yards this season, which Chubb only managed twice.
Cleveland will always love Chubb. But seven games into his absence, I’m not sure how much the Browns actually miss his production.
Football Insider newsletter free trial: Take a minute and sign up for a free trial of our Football Insider newsletter, featuring exclusive content from cleveland.com's Browns reporters.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.