Browns: 3 positions that could carry the team in 2021
By Chad Porto
Running back
The Browns have three pretty solid runners. The big issue they were dealing with was having a real pass-catching threat out of the backfield like Duke Johnson provided. They addressed that need potentially in Demetric Felton. As a rule of thumb, it’s always best to never put huge expectations on late-round picks, as they were late-round picks for a reason. It’s better to be surprised rather than disappointed.
Yet, with Felton’s skill set, he could, in theory, give the running backs a brand new weapon to use in their fight for a Super Bowl.
The Browns already have Nick Chubb, who’s arguably the second-best running back in the NFL behind Christian McCaffery and easily the best pure runner the NFL has. Like with Denzel Ward, Chubb has to stay healthy. The one thing that was proved in spades in 2020 when Chubb was out, was that Kareem Hunt is a good number two running back, but a bad number one.
Hunt isn’t the change-of-pace back he was advertised to be. No longer elusive in the open field, Hunt spent most of 2020 looking for people to hit, instead of looking for people to get around. If you’re looking for someone who stretches the field and makes defenses pay for bunching up in the box, Hunt isn’t your guy. Yet, he’s a powerful enough runner that he can work in the system Kevin Stefanski uses. He’ll probably never be a 1,000 rusher in Cleveland but as long as he can get first-downs, then the Browns will be fine.
We can’t forget D’Ernest Johnson, Andy Janovich, or Johnny Stanton. Johnson was able to provide some impressive runs in relief of Hunt, while Janovich showed fullbacks are far from dead. Stanton hasn’t gotten a crack yet, but he’s athletic, big, and versatile and if called up to do some sort of H-Back role, the Browns may find themselves with yet another weapon.