Quinshon Judkins had a great rookie season for the Cleveland Browns, and it did not go unnoticed.
Judkins earned honorary-mention status on the list of the best running backs in the NFL compiled by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Judkins had 827 rushing yards and finished the year with 998 all-purpose yards and seven touchdowns, despite the Browns’ anemic passing game. The second-round pick of the 2026 NFL Draft finished tied with Harold Fannin for the most touchdowns on the Browns last year.
Cleveland (5-12) finished last in the AFC North in 2025.
Quinshon Judkins Earns Honorable Mention Status for NFL’s Best RBs
Fowler compiled the list of the top-10 running backs in the NFL right now, as judged by executives, coaches and scouts.
The bad news is even though Judkins didn’t quite make the mark as a top-10 back, he did land on the three RBs in the honorable-mention category, along with Kyren Williams of the Los Angeles Rams and Josh Jacobs of the Green Bay Packers.
“Runs incredibly hard, faster in the open field than you’d think,” Fowler quoted an AFC executive. “I think he’s going to have a big year.”
Judkins was the only Browns running back with more than 100 attempts, which makes him a true bell-cow running back. He finished 18th in the NFL in rushing attempts (230), despite the fact he only played 14 games and the Browns spent much of the year playing behind the game script.
Judkins averaged more than 16 carries per game in his rookie season. That mark only stands to go up in his second season, especially if the immobile Deshaun Watson is the Browns starting quarterback in 2026.
AFC North Rivals Were Also on the List of Best Running Backs
Judkins is ranked in the NFL’s top-13 running backs, but he wasn’t the only AFC North back to appear on the list.
Derrick Henry of the Baltimore Ravens earned the No. 6 ranking on the Fowler-compiled list, falling from No. 5 after he posted 1,595 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2025.
“Henry’s demise still feels far away,” Fowler wrote. “Last season, Henry broke off 17 runs of 20 or more yards — four more than any player — on his way to a 5.2 yards-per-carry average on 307 attempts. His five seasons with at least 1,500 rushing yards tie Barry Sanders for the most in NFL history.”
“He hasn’t really slowed down, to be honest, at least from what I’ve seen,” a veteran NFL defensive coach told Fowler. “You can knock him because he’s not the pass threat the others are. But he’s still a major problem. Guy takes care of himself like no other.”
Henry was the oldest running back on the list — Judkins was the youngest. But Chase Brown of the rival Cincinnati Bengals also joined Henry and Judkins, though on the list of “others receiving votes.”
Six of the top 10 played for AFC teams, and 11 of the 20 RBs named were in the same conference as the Browns. The Pittsburgh Steelers were the only AFC North team that were not featured on the list of best running backs, though they also are the only team in the division without a top-flight running back.
Browns RB Quinshon Judkins Earns ‘Honorable Mention’ Status from NFL Writer