Cleveland Browns Running Back Depth Chart — 2026
The Cleveland Browns running back depth chart for the 2026 season: Quinshon Judkins at RB1, Jaleel McLaughlin at RB2, Audric Estime at RB3. Depth order follows the current published depth chart and refreshes daily.
Browns running back depth chart
| Role | Player | Status | 2025 RYOE | RYOE/Att | Follow | Read |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RB1 | Quinshon Judkins | -34.6 | -0.48 | Read | ||
| RB2 | Jaleel McLaughlin | — | — | |||
| RB4 | Audric Estime | — | — | |||
| RB6 | Dylan Sampson | IR | — | — | Read | |
| RB7 | Raheim Sanders | IR | — | — | ||
| — | Benny LeMay | — | — | |||
| — | Eric Gray | — | — | |||
| — | Jaret Patterson | — | — |
Who is the Browns RB2?
Jaleel McLaughlin is the Browns RB2 behind Quinshon Judkins, which makes him the back in line for the workload if Quinshon Judkins misses time — the handcuff.
Who backs up the Browns at running back?
A handcuff is the backup who inherits the starter's workload if the starter gets hurt — so the Browns handcuff is whoever sits directly behind Quinshon Judkins on the depth chart above. Rostering him is how you protect a starting back you have already spent a pick on. More on what a handcuff is.
Dylan Sampson is Cleveland's receiving back, and by some distance the most productive per opportunity: 1.73 receiving yards per pass snap against Quinshon Judkins' 0.91. Sampson drew 40 targets in 15 games; Judkins drew 36 in 14, on nearly twice the snaps.
If Quinshon Judkins misses time
Neither back has an availability record worth reading — both are one season into their careers — so this page cannot tell you how likely it is. Sampson's own availability question is now moot for the near term: he has moved to IR, and Raheim Sanders has moved up to the 2 spot on the depth chart, with Jaleel McLaughlin now slotted at 3.
What this page can tell you is the size of the job Judkins has been handling. He took 230 carries at +0.30 yards over expected per carry, 29th of 49 qualifying backs, and 42.3% of the offence's snaps, 31st among running backs.
Sampson, before landing on IR, took 22.8% of offensive snaps without clearing the hundred carries a back needs before a rushing rate is worth ranking. He caught passes well; he had not carried a lead-back load, and the reporting below describes a scheme change toward physical gap-scheme running that suits the other man. With Sampson out, Sanders and McLaughlin sit behind Judkins on the depth chart, and Eric Gray has joined the room after arriving from the Giants.
Touches with everyone healthy
A real share for Dylan Sampson last season, concentrated in the passing game. Sampson took 22.8% of the snaps against Quinshon Judkins' 42.3%.
Sampson is now on IR, and Cleveland's backfield behind Judkins has been reshuffled: Raheim Sanders moved up to the second spot, Jaleel McLaughlin slotted in at third, and Sampson fell to sixth on the depth chart. The team also added Eric Gray from the Giants. The passing-game role Sampson built last year — distinct from Judkins' downhill work — is now up for grabs among that group rather than guaranteed to any one back.
Is there a passing-down back?
Yes, and historically he has been the most efficient receiver among the backup backs on these six teams.
Sampson drew 40 targets in 15 games, 2.67 a game, catching 33 for 271 yards — 1.73 receiving yards for every pass snap he was on the field for. Judkins managed 0.91 on 187 pass snaps to Sampson's 157.
That rate was the argument, but it no longer applies to the current depth chart. Sampson is now on IR and has dropped to sixth on Cleveland's RB chart, with Raheim Sanders moving up to second and Jaleel McLaughlin added at fifth. The passing-down role Sampson built at 24.5% of Cleveland's pass snaps is now unclaimed rather than his to lose.
What the beat is reporting
What the beat is reporting, last refreshed 2026-09-30. Nothing here is measured — it is reporting, attributed and dated.
Dylan Sampson made plays in both the run and the pass game as a rookie, finishing with 175 rushing yards and 271 receiving yards and two touchdowns (ClevelandBrowns.com, 2026-07-01). Sampson has since moved to IR and dropped to RB6 on the depth chart, with Raheim Sanders moving up to RB2 and Jaleel McLaughlin now listed at RB3.
Running backs coach Duce Staley described Quinshon Judkins as a runner who can put his foot in the ground, hit it downhill, break tackles and get tough runs (ClevelandBrowns.com, 2026-07-01).
New offensive coordinator Todd Monken emphasises physical gap-scheme running concepts (ClevelandBrowns.com, 2026-07-01). The Browns also added Eric Gray to the running back room after his arrival from the Giants.
Choosing between a Browns back and someone else?
Both men's 2025 production side by side, and which of them rests on inputs that historically repeat.
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