The last two Cleveland Browns seasons have been very subpar for their running back room. The team has been at the bottom of several NFL running back statistics. Prior to these last two seasons, they had been one of the best departments, but with Nick Chubb running into injury troubles over the last two seasons things have gone south. The team needs to build back and strengthen this part of their team during this offseason.
The free agency market opens in the next few weeks, followed by the NFL Draft, and the Browns will be looking at running backs in both of these places.
According to many who are analyzing this year’s draft prospects this draft is stacked with strong runners. It’s just what the doctor ordered for the Browns. In this article, we will look at several running backs that could help the Browns get back to being one of the better running games in the league.
I’ve already mentioned two running in previous mock drafts including DJ Giddens of Kansas State and Omarion Hampton of North Carolina so we won’t mention them in this series. But still, there are many other possibilities for the team.
No. 1 Running Back: Kaleb Johnson, Iowa
The Ohio native who played high school football at Hamilton High School outside of Cincinnati played three seasons at Iowa. After being heavily recruited out of high school he originally chose to play for the California Golden Bears but then changed his mind and switched to play for the Hawkeyes. At Iowa, he had two decent years and then had a breakout year this season where he ran for over 1,500 yards and scored 21 touchdowns on the ground.
Johnson has good size for a running back at 6’1 and was efficient yards after contact where he collected over 700 yards and had a 6.4 yards per carry in his last season.
His speed and ability to break tackles and then jump into another gear make him an attractive option at running back.
He also can catch the ball coming out of the backfield well. This year he caught 22 passes for 188 yards. One of those receptions was a nifty 73-yard catch and scamper through half of the Nebraska Cornhusker defense in the last game of his season.
Johnson’s breakaway speed is noticeable when you watch the film on him. When he’s gotten to the second and third levels of the defense he’s been able to take the right path and scamper ahead of his opponents.
No. 2 Running Back: TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State
Photo Credit: Brett Davs Images
The Ohio State running back had an outstanding four-year career as a Buckeye. He had a breakout freshman season where he ran for 1,248 yards with an impressive 6.8 yards per carry average. This season he shared running back duties with Quishon Judkins but still got to 1,016 yards on the ground and a stellar 7.1 yards per carry average.
For his career, he collected 3,761 yards on the ground to go with 42 touchdowns. He also caught 77 passes for 853 yards and six more touchdowns.
Henderson isn’t a big back closer to 5’10 in height. He has breakaway speed on occasion when you watch the tape but what you see mostly, is a running that will move chains and get you that first down.
He seems to like taking the contact. He does a good job of following behind his blockers. He has good patience and a knack for making a good cut or two when running downhill.
Henderson would be a good third-down back for the Browns when you needed that three yards for the first down.
Henderson could potentially be drafted in the first round but could still be there in the second or third rounds. The Browns have been drafting more Ohio State Buckeyes in recent drafts like current player Dawand Jones so drafting another Buckeye would be a good move, especially for the fans.
No. 3 Running Back: Cam Skattebo, Arizona State
Photo via USA Today
Cam Skattebo made a name for himself in the most recent college playoffs where he almost single-handedly beat Texas in the semi-final game. Unfortunately, the season ended for him and his Sun Devils in that game despite the heroic efforts.
While a lot of people didn’t know who he was before the Texas game, they do now as he could be drafted as high as the first or second round of the draft. He ran for a whopping 1,711 yards at Arizona State this past season. Considering he began his collegiate career at Sacramento State a small program where he played his first two seasons, his rise to stardom has been impressive to watch.
He had a stellar high school career collecting 69 touchdowns and over 6,100 yards rushing. He had several high school games where he ran for 200 or 300 yards apiece, but still he wasn’t heavily recruited. That’s all in the rearview mirror now as he prepares to be drafted into the NFL.
The kid is a freight train and a lot of Browns fans would fall in love with him because of his work ethic and drive.
The Browns once had a running back named Peyton Hillis who played for the team for two seasons back in 2010 and 2011. In his 2010 season, Hillis rumbled for 1,177 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also caught 61 passes for 477 yards. Skattebo’s bruising running style and ability to catch passes coming out of the backfield reminds one of Hillis and his past style.
Skattebo shows extraordinary balance while running and taking contact when being tackled. He thrives on contact and unlike most running backs in college and the NFL his ability to stay upright and drive forward is astonishing when you watch it on tape.
The bumps and bruises that he has taken, which will only be harder when he enters the NFL may play a factor in his longevity, but his desire, motivation, and skill sets are extra extraordinary.
He can hit a hole in the defense behind his blockers and create lanes that he somehow can push through or on a run that looks to go outside he can tiptoe the sideline and have the balance to move forward and pick up another five or 10 yards.
Of all the running backs that I’ve watched on film this off-season, he has the most impressive bruising type of running that could make him a star early in his career. It’s the longevity of his career that could be in question.
No. 4 Running Back: Ollie Gordon, Oklahoma State
Photo Credit: Vasha Hunt- Images
The Oklahoma State Cowboys have had a few pretty good running backs come through their program, including former Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders. Ollie Gordon is the latest running back to come through their program. He had an outstanding career as a Cowboy, especially in his sophomore 2023 season where he ran wild for over 1732 yards which led the NCAA in that category. He battled a few injuries this past year, but still went for 880 yards and and 13 touchdowns.
Gordon also can take passes coming out of the backfield for long gains. He caught 80 passes for 585 yards and scored four touchdowns.
He’s a big back listed at 6’2 by some accounts. He’s a tough runner and likes to take the contact. He also has a very strong, powerful stride that allows him to accelerate quickly past the defense.
On film, you see this time and time again. In a game against Cincinnati back during the 2023 season, he went on a 75-yard scamper to pay dirt. What was more impressive about that run was how he exploded and ran by for defenders and looked flawless in doing so, making his defenders look like they were running in slow motion.
Gordon is projected to be drafted anywhere between the second and fourth rounds and is listed by some accounts as the 10th or 11th best back in this draft.
The fact that he led all of the NCAA in rushing in his sophomore campaign and he’s only the 10th or 11th best running back in this draft tells you how stacked this draft is with young running back talent.
The Browns would be smart to consider taking Gordon in this draft. If they could pick him up in the later rounds, even better.
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