NFL Draft: What Quinshon Judkins Would Bring to Chiefs

The running back position may not always be the most stable with the Kansas City Chiefs, but when the time comes, it is an effective and underrated aspect of their offense.

Isiah Pacheco is expected to be the No. 1 tailback on the roster this season with Kareem Hunt and Elijah Mitchell behind him, making for a steady committee.

However, the Chiefs are in a position to draft from a deep running back class that features several potential starters. It would be surprising to see them or any other team not take a glance at the position in this year's NFL Draft.

Ohio State Buckeyes running back Quinshon Judkins could be an early-round target for the Chiefs. He has been one of the most productive players at his position since his marvelous freshman season with over 3700 career yards while being a Doak Walker finalist as a true freshman while being both an All-SEC and All-Big Ten runner at Ole Miss and Ohio State, respectively.

Let's look into what Judkins could bring to the next level and what his fit could be.

Strengths

When you think of smart running backs, Judkins will come to mind. He's a quick-thinker who makes good decisions on his pathways past the first level and into the back seven defenders. He plays with quality reactions to stimuli and studies the flow of the second level defenders well to either punch through a crease or work against the grain and find green grass on the backside.

Judkins has shown to be a pain to get down in the open field or tackle in space. He's quite jumpy with terrific footwork and body control to maintain momentum as a runner when creating space. His contact-balance is more than sufficient and it makes him effective in both the run and pass game.

The former three-star recruit displays impressive short-area quickness and change of direction at 6-foot-1, 221 pounds. This allows him to generate big plays after making the first defender miss with initial burst quickness within the first two levels of the defense. Judkins has also shown reliable hands in the passing game and has the toolkit to develop into a quality receiver out of the backfield.

Weaknesses

There's not a ton to dislike about Judkins as a player. There are some areas where he is limited due to his physical profile but can be refined in a couple of key areas to grow into a quality tailback at the next level.

Judkins shows some flaws in his technique when asked to be a pass protector, partly why he wasn't on the field as much on third downs where his teammate TreVeyon Henderson thrived. He did not display his ability as a route runner enough and there may be some questions with Judkins on his ability to be an all-round playmaker in this regard.

Judkins also does not possess elite explosiveness and sustainability in this regard. He shows ample burst on initial carries, but when he gets into the open field, he can be chased down from behind, much like what happened on his long run in the National Championship against Notre Dame.

Where Judkins fits in the NFL and the Chiefs

Despite being on a deep Buckeyes offense, Judkins displays the talent to be an effective playmaker at the next level early in his career while having some room to grow to develop into a potential high-end starter at the next level.

Judkins offers a great combination of vision, balance, initial, burst, decision-making, play strength, and ball skills to be effective in any blocking scheme he plays behind. If drafted by the Chiefs, he could quickly create a two-headed monster with Pacheco while making Hunt and Mitchell obsolete. By his third year, Judkins could be one of the offensive cornerstones on his new NFL team.

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