After an incredible offseason for the Cleveland Browns and general manager Andrew Berry, the struggling franchise managed to quickly revamp their entire offensive unit heading into the 2026 NFL season.
Cleveland kicked off the offseason with multiple signings on the offensive line during the free agency period, including guards Elgton Jenkins and Zion Johnson. The strong showings in free agency would continue into the 2026 NFL Draft, as Berry moved down from the No. 6 pick and still landed one of the top offensive tackles in the draft, Utah’s Spencer Fano.
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In addition to selecting the team’s left tackle of the future, Berry and the front office also doubled up on the wide receiver position by taking Texas A&M’s KC Concepcion with the No. 24 pick and Washington’s Denzel Boston with the No. 39 pick. This massive haul now sets up the offense to take a significant step forward under newly-hired head coach Todd Monken.
However, there is one area of concern on the offensive side of the ball heading into next season. While the quarterback position remains a major question mark, the Browns‘ running back room could also make-or-break the success of the offense in 2026.
Looking at the current state of Cleveland’s running back room, the main catalyst of the group is 2025 second-round pick Quinshon Judkins. The former Ohio State star showed plenty of promise throughout his rookie season, recording 827 rushing yards and seven touchdowns in 2025. Unfortunately for Judkins, his first season was cut short due to a brutal season-ending injury he sustained against the Buffalo Bills, which puts his 2026 season into question.
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While Judkins was spotted on the field during the team’s voluntary workouts, there is plenty of concern as to whether or not Judkins will be fully healthy for the beginning of the 2026 season. To make matters worse, the depth behind the 22-year-old running back is filled with its own issues, which include fellow second-year backs Dylan Sampson and Rahiem Sanders. Still, the pair of backup rushers combined for 2.9 yards per carry, which could be a problem for the Browns if Judkins does not return to his best form at the start of the season.
Depending on how well the offensive line gels within the first few weeks of the upcoming season, there’s a chance that Cleveland’s run game could see slight improvements despite the potential setbacks with Judkins. But the concerns about the current state of the running back room should be closely monitored throughout the offseason.
This article originally appeared on Browns Wire: Browns have major question on offense heading into 2026 NFL season
