The Cleveland Browns’ 2025 rookie class has plenty of depth and high-end talent that ideally will serve as the foundation for their next great team.
Hopefully, it will first help wipe the slate clean after a disastrous 2024 season.
Cleveland brought in some big names from major college programs in the 2025 NFL Draft, but one rookie is projected to have a larger role after recent unfortunate off-field events opened the door wide open for him.
Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report recently wrote about which NFL rookie running backs are being overlooked and could have a major impact this season, and he named one of Cleveland’s two recent selections.
“Browns general manager Andrew Berry doubled-down on running back by selecting Dylan Sampson in the fourth round. Last season, the Tennessee product led the SEC with 1,491 rushing yards. He’s a slashing runner with home run-hitting speed. Well, that number may be halved depending on what happens in [Quinshon] Judkins’ case, which creates further opportunities for Sampson. The 20-year-old has the physical ability to be a lead back. It may take some time for that to happen, but the runway is basically clear for him to take off as a rookie,” Sobleski wrote.
There may be more expected of Sampson now that Judkins, a second-round pick, is in some legal trouble that could significantly impact his NFL career.
Sampson proved he can be a three-down back at Tennessee, so as Judkins misses time dealing with a domestic violence charge, Cleveland should feel confident that Sampson can handle the increased workload.
The Browns surely had visions of replacing Nick Chubb with a potential breakthrough duo of Judkins and Sampson, and though that may still happen at some point, Sampson will have a chance to show he is capable of leading the backfield on his own.
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