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Dylan Sampson is a fantasy football sleeper and value in 2025 fantasy football rookie drafts. Read the fantasy football outlook for the new Browns running back.
DRAFT PICK: 4th Round (#126 Overall Pick)
TEAM: Cleveland Browns
ROOKIE DRAFT ANALYSIS: The Cleveland Browns, notably, double-dipped at the quarterback position in the NFL Draft. Less notably, they also took two swings in the backfield. Now, their first RB draft pick is in legal trouble after being arrested and accused of domestic violence.
Ohio State's Quinshon Judkins filled a massive need for the Browns roster. Cleveland's third all-time leading rusher, Nick Chubb, was uncertain about returning in 2025. Judkins and Jerome Ford would form a nice one-two punch as Cleveland enters a new era. Then, general manager Andrew Berry pulled the trigger on a second running back, Tennessee's Dylan Sampson, in the fourth round, slamming the door on another year of Chubb and making a mess of a backfield.
Sampson led the SEC with 1,491 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns in his final season at Knoxville en route to an SEC Offensive Player of the Year title.
DYLAN SAMPSON CONTINUES TO BALL THIS SEASON 🔥
A 27-YD TOUCHDOWN TO RETAKE THE LEAD VS. GEORGIA 😤 pic.twitter.com/HmuJLppFvZ
— ESPN (@espn) November 17, 2024
Despite his speed, there weren't many (two over 40 yards, to be exact) breakaway runs. Rather, he was a volume king, leading the conference in carries (258) and notching eight games with over 20 totes. The Volunteers could trust their guy to easily pick up five or six yards, patiently waiting for his blockers to open gaps.
Judkins, known as a physical runner, meshes well with Sampson's speed. On paper, it's a great pair for the future of the backfield. While Sampson's path to a clear RB1 role is a tough one, Judkins' off-the-field situation gives him at least a slightly clearer path. Sampson is well worth a third-round pick in rookie drafts as a handcuff stash and potential sleeper by 2026. The immediate returns on Sampson likely won't be fruitful if Judkins is all clear for his rookie season, but this is clearly a situation worth monitoring.
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