Which Ohio State Running Back Would Be a Better Fit for the Cincinnati Bengals?

CINCINNATI – Of all the positions the Cincinnati Bengals need to target in this year’s draft, running back is the thinnest.

Of all the team’s draft trends in the Zac Taylor era, running back is the most consistent.

The Bengals haven’t selected a running back earlier than the fifth round since Taylor arrived in 2019, and they haven’t taken one higher than the fourth since 2017 with the second-round selection of Joe Mixon.

If the team breaks that trend later this month, two of the top options available are Ohio State's TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins, who played just up the road last fall while helping the Buckeyes win the national championship.

And the Bengals took advantage of that geographic proximity by scheduling visits with both running backs, with Henderson and Judkins not counting against the 30-player limit for those in-person meetings due to being "local."

Both Henderson and Judkins have Day 2 grades from the majority of scouts and analysts.

But which one would be the better fit for the Bengals?

First, let’s look at why the team would target a position where it has an emerging star in Chase Brown after his breakout sophomore season in 2024 and a dependable third-down option with the return of Samaje Perine in free agency.

The Bengals need to find a backup for Brown, who missed five games with an injury as a rookie and features a 5-foot-10, 210-pound frame that doesn’t exactly scream “durability.”

Perine will get plenty of snaps this season, but he’s not the kind of back you want to plug in as a starter if Brown has to miss more than a couple of games.

Zack Moss is still on the roster, but questions linger about the season-ending neck injury he suffered last year, making him a cut candidate once the Bengals see how the draft – and ensuing the college free agent frenzy – settles.

The argument for Judkins begins with the fact that he would be an ideal counter to Brown. Despite similar measurables (5-11 ½, 221 pounds), Judkins is a more of a power runner who often seeks contact and finishes strong on every run.

Henderson is even smaller than Brown at 5-10 and 202 pounds.

Judkins’ elusive rating by Pro Football Focus was 69.3 last season, which ranked 45th among running backs in the 2025 draft class.

Henderson’s 108.9 ranked 16th.

It’s one of the few areas where Judkins and Henderson are separated by a sizable gap.

In The Beast, which The Athletic published Wednesday, Dane Brugler has TreVeyon Henderson as his No. 4 running back and Judkins No. 5.

And they are only 14 apart on his Top 100 prospects overall, with Henderson 46 and Judkins 60.

NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah has them even closer, with Henderson at 34 and Judkins 38.

And PFF has Henderson 57 and Judkins 64.

There’s not a lot that separates the two.

Among running backs eligible in the 2025 draft class, Judkins ranks fifth with a pass-blocking grade of 88.8, while Henderson is sixth with an 88.6.

But among the film grinders such as Brugler and Jeremiah, Henderson is viewed as much better in pass protection.

“Consistently puts defenders on their backsides with his pop as a lead blocker and in pass pro,” Brugler said.

Judkins had 194 carries for 1,060 yards and 14 TDs in his only season with Ohio State after transferring from Ole Miss.

Henderson had 144 carries for 1,016 yards and 10 touchdowns in his fourth season with the Buckeyes.

Both were reliable receivers as well, with Henderson catching 27 passes for 284 yards and a touchdown and Judkins snaring 22 balls for 161 yards and two scores.

Another area where the Bengals could favor Henderson is the way he handled the arrival of Judkins via the transfer portal.

Henderson was a freshman All American in 2021, but injuries cost him games as a sophomore and junior. Healthy and ready for a big senior year, his response when told the OSU wanted to bring in Judkins was to tell head coach Ryan Day to do whatever was best for the team.

Loyalty to teammates and the team and experience playing in big games for elite teams are things the Bengals look for in all prospects, and Henderson fits all of that in addition to his fit with the scheme.

Perhaps the only downside to either back – aside from their second-round grades possibly being two rich for a Bengals team with lots of defensive needs – is the amount of wear and tear Henderson (590 career carries) and especially Judkins (739) have.

Judkins forced 43 missed tackles last year, 25th best among draft eligible backs. Henderson had 33, which ranked 37th.

But that’s a volume stat, and Judkins had 50 more carries than Henderson.

The Bengals can’t go wrong taking either back. But in terms of what he would be asked to do right away and long term if the Bengals don’t re-sign Brown after the 2026 season, Henderson feels like the slightly better fit.

But a second-round running back feels like a longshot given both the Bengals’ trend-setting past and defense-needy present.