Cleveland Browns must replace Nick Chubb with Heisman hopeful

How Cleveland Browns Continuing to lose in 2024, the 2025 NFL Draft is getting closer and closer. While the fans certainly weren’t cheering for a terrible season, the consolation prize of a potential top-five finisher will go some way to helping the pain endured.

With Deshaun Watson clearly not the best option at quarterback, there will be a lot of talk about the Browns drafting a quarterback in the first round in 2025. While I have more interest in Cam Ward than several other quarterback prospects at the moment, I can’t help but think about trading down.

Watson’s poor play, poor team positioning and injuries have all plagued this season. At the same time, the Browns still have a promising team on paper if the roster stays healthy and some changes are made.

One adjustment should be at the running back position. Nick Chubb is not the answer to the future.

Cleveland fans should be grateful for everything Chubb has done for this team and the city. The nature of this business is that every person has an expiration date. For Chubb, that time must be coming to an end.

Between 2018 and 2023, Chubb always averaged over five yards per carry for the Browns. His vision, patience, explosiveness and power combine well into a pretty strong offensive line. Since returning from a serious knee injury and a long recovery from multiple surgeries, Chubb has never looked the same.

In four games, Chubb has 53 carries for 163 yards and one touchdown. That’s just 3.1 yards per carry. It’s good to see him again, but he looks slower, lacks that explosiveness and isn’t a threat.

With 1,291 carries in his NFL career and age 30 getting closer and closer, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the Browns need to think about the future and can do better. Chubb is a free agent in 2025, so letting him test the waters and find another team seems like the best solution for both parties.

If that happens, a trade for a running back may be an option in the first round.

Boise State Ashton Jeanty is currently lighting up college football. The 5-foot-9, 215-pound running back will likely be in New York for the Heisman Trophy presentation with a strong chance of walking away with the coveted award.

In ten games this season, Jinty has tallied an absurd 256 carries for 1,893 yards and 26 touchdowns. His average yards per carry is an excellent 7.4, and his quietest play on the ground still resulted in 127 yards. In short, if Jeanty touches football, something big will happen.

With Jack Conklin performing well again at right tackle and Davand Jones showing promise at left tackle before getting injured, Cleveland could wait to address the offensive line until later in the draft. The question largely comes down to the quarterback’s approach if the team goes down.

Two players to watch in the second round could be Oregon Dillon Gabriel or Penn State Drew Allar. These two quarterbacks have very different builds and styles of play, but both show promise. Pairing either of them with Jinty could be more dangerous than simply pulling the trigger on a defender this early.

One thing is certain: it will be a long time before any decision is made. However, options should be kept open for the Cleveland Browns rather than being limited and only thinking about the quarterback on the first night of the draft.