Browns running back position ranked among league's best in latest position rankings

It isn't a secret the run game defines the Cleveland Browns. 

When healthy, Nick Chubb is arguably the most efficient running back in the league. He is backed up by solid contributors in Jerome Ford, D'Onta Foreman and Nyheim Hines. 

It is a position group loaded with talent. And to show for it, Pro Football Focus ranked the Browns' running back position No. 8 in the league, directly ahead of the Philadelphia Eagles. 

"The Browns would easily have a top-five running back room if Nick Chubb didn’t suffer a terrible knee injury last year — one we weren’t sure he would be able to come back from," writes Trevor Sikkema.

"Jerome Ford carried the rock well in his stead, amassing more than 800 yards. Kareem Hunt is no longer on the team, but all reports indicate Chubb is rehabbing as best he can and will return in 2024. If he’s anything close to the Nick Chubb we know, this is a top-10 running back group."

During the 2023 season, Ford became the featured back while Chubb recovered from a lower leg injury. 

Ford racked up 813 yards and four touchdowns on 204 carriers. He was extremely productive given the circumstances. 

Ford's best games came against the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers. 

When the Browns played the Steelers in September, Ford ran for 106 yards on 16 carries. He also tacked on 25 receiving yards. 

When the Browns picked up a monumental win over the Ravens in November, Ford ran for 107 yards on 17 chances. 

With a healthy Chubb and Ford playing confidently, Cleveland has an enticing one-two punch out of the backfield.

In a season controlled by Deshaun Watson, it would be fitting for Cleveland to look to the run game. 

The last time Chubb was healthy, he ran for 1,525 yards while claiming 12 touchdowns in 17 appearances. If he still has the flair and efficiency he possessed before his injury, Cleveland's backfield won't merely be top-10, it could be a top-five unit.