Browns Do Something Not Done in NFL Draft for 12 Years

The Cleveland Browns have achieved some very interesting history in the NFL Draft.

Dec 24, 2017; Chicago, IL, USA; A general view of a Cleveland Browns helmet prior to a game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. The Bears won 20-3. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images | Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Browns selected another running back in the NFL Draft on Saturday afternoon, taking Tennessee Volunteers star Dylan Sampson with the 126th overall pick.

The Browns also nabbed Ohio State Buckeyes halfback Quinshon Judkins on Day 2, making them the first team since the 2013 Green Bay Packers to select a pair of running backs within the first four rounds of the draft (h/t Doug Clawson of CBS Sports).

Cleveland definitely needed backfield assistance heading into the draft, as Nick Chubb remains unsigned, and Jerome Ford does not inspire much confidence as a lead rusher.

However, the fact that the Browns have taken two halfbacks is definitely strange given that the team has so many other holes up and down the roster.

That's not to take anything away from Sampson, who is a terrific player. This past season, he rushed for 1,491 yards and 22 touchdowns, leading the SEC in both categories. He also averaged 5.8 yards per carry while logging 20 catches for 143 yards.

Sampson arrived at Tennessee in 2022 and had a couple of moderately productive campaigns for the Volunteers over his first two seasons before truly breaking out in 2024.

The Browns now have a very interesting stable of halfbacks, and it seems like they will be going with a committee approach going into 2025.

Still, Cleveland has not addressed its issue at wide receiver, and there are also some gaps the Browns need to fill defensively, as well. That's what makes their decision to net two running backs so head-scratching.

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