Quinshon Judkins single-handedly beat Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff National Championship on Monday night. He scored three total touchdowns in the Buckeyes’ 34-23 win over the Fighting Irish.
With Judkins' dominant game to conclude his first season at Ohio State came a significant boost to his draft stock. I’m not sure if he cracks the first round, but he should absolutely be a second or third-round pick at worst. He’s NFL-ready and can instantly impact an offense next season.
What made his game in the national championship so significant wasn’t just his ability as a runner, but he showed he can be a good receiving back out of the backfield too. There are several teams that could use an upgrade in the backfield. Here’s who could be interested in Judkins come April.
4. Cleveland Browns
Nick Chubb’s anticipated return this season was not only cut short but abruptly halted thanks to another season-ending injury. And with it came speculation of whether he’d ever return to his old form.
It was already a tall task coming off a second major knee injury in his career and now it’s even tougher. The Browns don’t have the luxury to waste time to see if he’ll still be as explosive. Myles Garrett made it clear the window is now for the Browns to get out of the never-ending rebuild phase.
Judkins is a player who can finally help the Browns offense become dominant in the rushing game again. He is a downhill runner with good breakaway ability. And he’s a good receiver out of the backfield.
Whatever the next phase of the Browns revolving door of quarterbacks is, Judkins is truly a quarterback’s best friend. And in Cleveland, it’s one offensive question answered.
3. Pittsburgh Steelers
Najee Harris was a great pickup for the Steelers in the 2021 draft. He just finished his fourth-straight 1,000-yard season. That said, he’s regressed from his standout rookie campaign. That’s partly why the Steelers are ready to move on.
That opens the door for Judkins to land in the Steel City and help them re-establish their run game. Judkins is essentially a carbon copy of Harris, body type-wise. And he can have a bigger role in the passing game.
The Steelers are in a weird place where they are getting to the playoffs but not winning a game while not being quite sure what the problem actually is. The offense hasn’t looked great. That said, a player like Judkins could alleviate some pressure off the quarterback to make every play.
2. Cincinnati Bengals
After letting Joe Mixon leave for Houston, the Cincinnati Bengals’ rushing attack took a massive hit. Chase Brown wasn’t bad, but he’s not an every-down back. What made the Bengals miss Mixon was his ability to go between the tackles.
Judkins could be that running back for them next season. Joe Burrow had an MVP-worthy season that their defense wasted away. But, for as good as the offense was, it lacked running production.
If the Bengals see value in getting a running back early, Judkins could be a great addition. Burrow is an elite passer so giving him another weapon out of the backfield is much-needed, especially since they likely won’t be able to keep Mike Gesicki and Tee Higgins.
So with Judkins as a viable option in the passing and running game, it could be something Duke Tobin and the Bengals consider. They’ll have to establish a better run game to be a contender in the AFC again. Judkins makes that a possibility.
1. Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys have to improve their run game. They could do that with Ashton Jeanty with their first-round pick in the draft — but if they want to address their offensive line or even their defense with that selection, Judkins could be a steal later in the draft.
Despite being another running back from Ohio State, Judkins could have a career comparable to Ezekiel Elliott. They have similar play styles and Judkins could have just as big of an impact. Toward the end of the season, Rico Dowdle started to look more like a feature back.
But his production is better as a second option. Judkins is the type of feature back, if they pass on Jeanty, that could help this offense improve. Depending on the new head coach's philosophy, there could be more emphasis on the run game.
Dak Prescott had to do a lot this past season. And over the last two years, the oft-maligned quarterback has had to carry the offense. With a true feature back like Judkins, he doesn’t have to force the offense to succeed each week.