While the focus of much of training camp has been about the Browns’ crowded QB room, there’s just as much uncertainty on the team’s running back depth chart. As it stands slightly less than two weeks out from Week 1, Jerome Ford and rookie Dylan Sampson appear to be battling for the RB1 slot, though the presence of Quinshon Judkins looms.
According to The Athletic, Judkins could be facing a suspension stemming from dismissed offseason battery charges. Also, even if the 36th-overall pick avoids disciplinary action from the league, it’s likely that Cleveland will seek a “temporary roster exemption” for the Ohio State product, as Judkins has yet to appear in camp or even sign a professional contract. In any event, it’s doubtful that we see Judkins before October, which would give the duo of Ford and Sampson a four-game runway to have a real fantasy impact.
The obvious question is: Which of the two RBs is a better pick in your upcoming fantasy draft?
The Case for Jerome Ford
If you’re getting a weird sense of deja vu, it’s likely because we’ve all had this conversation with Jerome Ford before. In 2024, with Nick Chubb still on the mend from a gruesome knee injury, Ford operated as the Browns’ primary back for the first five weeks of the season — and I do mean primary. In fact, Ford logged at least a 75% snap share in three of those five games, which in the modern NFL, is about as close to a backfield monopoly as you’ll see. There’s definitely a chance that Kevin Stefanski sides with the devil he knows until the aforementioned Judkins is available, and we see Ford in a similar role throughout September of 2025.
Of course, opportunity isn’t everything in fantasy. I mean, it’s very important, but the asset still has to do something with said chance. This is where Ford’s game log gets a little divisive. On the one hand, you could make the case that Ford did everything possible in a poor situation, averaging 5.2 yards per carry for a low-scoring team that was constantly playing from behind. It’s also not like Ford wasn’t involved in the passing attack, as the former fifth-round pick hauled in 20 passes in that stretch, tied for the most on the Browns with Amari Cooper.
However, at the end of the day, Ford exited Week 5 producing a paltry 0.27 PPR points per snap. That was the third-lowest mark of the 25 running backs that had been on the field for at least 50% of their team’s offensive plays, besting only the likes of Rachaad White and Najee Harris. Not exactly the kind of company you want to be keeping. The truth of the matter was Cleveland wasn’t scorning touchdowns, which obviously meant Ford wasn’t scoring either. From Week 1 to Week 5, Ford saw only two rushing attempts inside the opponent’s five-yard line.
The Case for Dylan Sampson
The appeal of Dylan Sampson is the allure of most things in life. Simply put, Sampson is fresh and new, and in fantasy football, being able to dream on the upside of the unknown is always very tempting. So much so, that I’m a little surprised to see that Sampson’s ADP is current trailing Ford’s — though he is certainly trending upwards after drawing the start in the Browns’ final preseason contest last week.
Sampson was an animal in his junior season at Tennessee, leading the SEC in rushing attempts (258), rushing yards (1,491) and rushing touchdowns (22). Sampson then parlayed that success into a fourth-round selection in this year’s draft.
Though Sampson was clearly a workhorse in college, there are some concerns about his ability to handle a similar regime in the NFL at his size. Sampson also wasn’t used much in the aerial attack at Tennessee and, like many young RBs, there’s some questions about his proficiency in pass protection. Put all that together, and it would seem the likely outcome here is a committee approach between Sampson and Ford, with the latter getting a majority of the passing snaps and third down opportunities. Such a scenario would limit Sampson’s upside in a PPR setting. But again, there’s a lot of tantalizing upside to draw from.
The Verdict
Maybe I’m saying the quiet part out loud, but there’s a very real chance that neither Jerome Ford or Dylan Sampson conjures a top 15 finish in PPR or standard scoring for as long as Quinshon Judkins remains sidelined. This isn’t necessarily a negative reflection of either player, but more the reality of the situtation as a whole.
The Browns finished 2024 ranking dead-last in points per game (15.2) and second-last in rushing touchdowns per game (0.5) and I don’t expect things to improve all that much in 2025, even with Joe Flacco back under center. Cleveland also begins the season with a nightmarish schedule, which features road games in Baltimore, Detroit and Pittsburgh all within the first six weeks. From both a potential game script perspective and a matchup perspective, the early season does not set up well for Browns running backs.
Still, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have a draft day lean towards Sampson. The rookie proved his mettle in the toughest conference in college football last season and in the late rounds of a draft, I’ll always shoot for ceiling. I think Sampson is also far more likely to remain in a semi-prominent role after Judkins makes his debut, as Cleveland will want to see what it has with its young RB tandem in what should otherwise be a lost campaign.
