Quinshon Judkins is getting tagged for Cleveland’s run-game woes, but the trouble started long before the rookie ever took a handoff.
Through five games, the Browns have a problem sitting right next to Harold Fannin Jr. on the tight end depth chart, and it’s starting to spill directly into the offense’s identity. Cleveland’s ground game has always been the part of Todd Monken’s offense that gives this team its best footing, but right now it’s being undercut by a tight end room that has not held up where it matters most.
Judkins has taken plenty of heat for a slow start to 2026. He’s averaging 3.0 yards per carry, hasn’t gone over 70 rushing yards in any game, and has just one rushing touchdown in five games.
But the tape doesn’t exactly scream runaway success for the back. He’s often taking slow-developing shotgun handoffs from Deshaun Watson, and that’s a brutal setup when the line and the supporting cast aren’t creating any real movement.
As Browns Film Breakdown put it: “Every run game snap broken down in-depth. 14 carries from Quinshon, 3 from Sanders, 3 from Watson.
The issues are mainly a mix of scheme, lacking up front displacement, and poor TE performance. Can the RBs be better?
Sure. But they are not the problem.”
That tight end issue is the real sinkhole. Fannin is a real weapon when he’s out running routes, but as a blocker he can get exposed, especially when he’s asked to handle bigger linebackers or defensive ends.
Beyond him, the Browns have leaned on Blake Whiteheart - better suited to special teams - and seventh-round rookie Carsen Ryan. That’s not exactly a sturdy foundation for a run game that needs help at the line of scrimmage.
The result is pretty simple: Cleveland has two rookies on the offensive line and no reliable blocking tight ends to help move bodies and open lanes. The running lanes are showing up late and disappearing fast, which leaves Judkins stuck with nowhere to go.
The numbers back that up. Among Browns players with at least 35 snaps, PFF has Fannin as the team’s worst run blocker with a 41.4 grade, while Whiteheart sits right there at 43.2.
The offseason decisions at tight end are now looking even shakier. Most Browns fans could understand moving on from David Njoku with Fannin emerging so quickly as the top guy.
The issue is that Cleveland never really replaced Njoku’s blocking presence. The plan was supposed to include Jack Stoll, who signed a veteran minimum-style deal and was expected to be a blocking complement to Fannin, but he suffered a season-ending injury and wasn’t exactly a sure thing to begin with.
Then came the draft gamble. Berry used Day 3 picks on Joe Royer in the fifth round and Ryan in the seventh, a move that reflected the Browns’ belief they could patch the spot cheaply.
Cleveland misread the Day 2 tight end run, though. Royer wound up as the 15th tight end selected, and he never returned after the spring offseason program because of an unknown personal issue.
That chain of events has left Whiteheart in the first full-time offensive role of his career and pushed Fannin into an in-line role on 56.5% of his snaps. In 2025, that rate was 46.9 percent, per PFF.
The Browns wanted to save money at tight end. Instead, they’ve built a unit that’s getting overpowered at the point of attack and making life miserable for their backs.
Judkins is the one absorbing the public criticism, but this is a Browns problem he didn’t make.
In Other News...
Browns Run Game Trouble Forced A New Backfield Move
The Browns backfield has been in flux, and the latest move shows how quickly depth can become a priority when injuries start stacking up. Cleveland signed running back Audric Estime from the Vikings practice squad to its 53-man roster after Quinshon Judkins was injured, adding another option to a room that has needed reinforcements as the team tries to steady its ground game.
Estime brings prior NFL experience with the Broncos and Saints, which gives Cleveland a veteran presence at a position group that has been asked to absorb a lot lately. For the Browns, the signing is less about splash and more about keeping the rotation functional while they look for cleaner answers in the running game. [Read more 🡒]
Jared Verse Is Creating An Early Browns Trade Debate
The Browns entered this season knowing the Myles Garrett trade would be judged through whatever came back in return, and Jared Verse has been the center of that evaluation from the start. A two-time Pro Bowler and former NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, Verse has been on the field for every game so far, giving Cleveland the kind of every-down edge presence it wanted to plug into a defense built around disruption.
So far, though, the numbers have left room for debate. Verse has 13 tackles and has held up with moderate run-defense grades, but the sack column is still empty, and that has opened the door for questions about his pass-rushing impact. Behind him, Sam Williams has played fewer snaps yet produced more sacks and tackles, which is exactly the kind of early comparison that can turn a trade return into a talking point the Browns cannot avoid. [Read more 🡒]
Deshaun Watson Suddenly Has Real Pressure On His Browns Job
The Browns loss to the Jets did more than knock Cleveland to 3-2, it turned up the heat on a quarterback situation that had already been under scrutiny. Deshaun Watson spent the afternoon dealing with pressure, poor protection and shaky decision-making, and the result was an eight-sack outing that left the offense sputtering when it needed to steady itself.
Now the schedule only sharpens the conversation, with the Ravens and Titans next on the docket and little margin for more uneven play. Around the roster, the alternatives are already part of the discussion, whether that means leaning on backup Shedeur Sanders or eventually activating Dillon Gabriel if the Browns decide the current setup is no longer sustainable. [Read more 🡒]