Dylan Sampson has what it takes to lead the Browns rushing attack

What gives me hope

It's understandable for there to be some doubt for a fourth-round pick, especially when the team drafted a player of the same position 90 picks earlier. Sampson is no slouch, though; he is the 2024 SEC player of the year after all. He may not have been on a championship team, but he was the entire offense for Tennessee. An offense that was ninth in the entire country in rushing yards per game.

Last year, he was easily the most accomplished rusher in his conference, leading the SEC in rushing attempts (258), rushing yards (1,491), and rushing touchdowns (22). These numbers stacked up well across the nation as he was top ten in the NCAA in these same categories, as well as rush yards per attempt.

A common misconception with Sampson is that he is a small, shifty speedster. Now, while he is 5'8, he certainly doesn't play like it. Last year, he had the eighth most yards after contact of any running back in the NCAA per PFF. He averaged 3.6 yards after contact, more than an entire half-yard higher than Quinshon Judkins' average. He did that with a stronger schedule in the SEC and with 60 more carries. Sampson has shown he has a tough enough running style to be a starter.

Like all players, there are doubts.

No player is perfect, and like all players drafted on day 3, Sampson has his share of concerns. The biggest was the fact that he had four fumbles last year, which was tied for the third-most among running backs in the NCAA. It was uncharacteristic because he never recorded a fumble until his very last year at Tennessee.

His running back coach at Tennessee, De'Rail Sims, was asked about this back in November, to which he said, “The number one deal is understanding when you’ve drained it enough. A lot of times, you go back through and you look at the tape, and a lot of those are him fighting for those extra yards. He still keeps trying to churn. The guys are sitting there trying to club at it, and they’re trying to pull the ball off. So understanding it when you drain it out enough, it’s time to go down so that they can’t get those shots on the ball...." This could be a problem for Sampson, but Browns running backs coach Duce Staley could fix that, as his position group only totaled three fumbles last year

Another concern would be his health. No, he's never had any serious injuries, but you have to question how his small frame will hold up playing in the AFC North. He did have to exit his very last collegiate game due to a hamstring injury he sustained a week prior after 25 carries against Vanderbilt. Nine times in his career, he had 20 or more carries in a game, all of which happened last year. Sampson had no injury hiccups through the draft process or since he arrived in Berea, but it's worth wondering if he can handle a high-volume year without injury.

All in all, Browns should be in good hands with Sampson

Overall, the Browns are lucky to have Sampson on the roster. Not many teams can afford to lose their starting running back and have not only a talented guy ready to go behind him, but a guy who was a lead back in college. Only time will tell if he can lead this Browns rushing attack, but with the lack of high-end free agency signings, it signals the Browns are comfortable giving him more opportunities for now.

In the end, while it's a lot to ask of a fourth-round pick, I believe Dylan Sampson can lead a successful rushing attack for the Browns this year. He had shown in college that he can handle a high volume of carries, run through contact, and, most importantly, produce. Sampson did all of this being the focal point of the offense in the best conference in all of college football. For Cleveland's offense to be successful this year, he will need to live up to this hype. We all saw the effect of a one-dimensional passing offense last year, and if this offense wants to be competitive, it all starts with Sampson.