Nick Chubb Drafted by Browns to Pair with Franchise QB Baker Mayfield

The Cleveland Browns added a household name among college football circles to their backfield Friday, when they drafted running back Nick Chubb out of the University of Georgia with their second pick of the second round (No. 35 overall) in the 2018 NFL draft at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.  

Twitter naturally reacted when such a marquee name came off the draft board:

Chubb was one of the most productive running back prospects in this draft but also comes with plenty of risk considering the serious knee injury he suffered in college.

He won the SEC Freshman of the Year in 2014 behind 1,547 rushing yards and 16 total touchdowns. Chubb also impressed during his final two collegiate seasons, recording 1,130 rushing yards and nine total touchdowns in 2016 and 1,345 rushing yards and 15 total touchdowns in 2017.

However, he damaged knee ligaments in 2015. The injury required surgery, ended his season early and sapped some of his explosiveness.

Bleacher Report's Matt Miller pointed to Chubb's difference in speed following the setback:

Still, it is difficult to ignore the running back's production, and Pete Davidson of WEEI sees Chubb as a starter at the next level:

Lance Zierlein of NFL Media praised Chubb's ability to pick up yards near the goal line and after contact, thanks in part to his "low center of gravity and strong base."

The analyst also noted the "explosion and sharpness [are] still not quite where [they were] before [the] leg injury" and raised concerns about the little impact he made in the aerial attack.

The Browns now have their backfield of the future after making quarterback Baker Mayfield the No. 1 overall pick Thursday. 

While there are some worries when it comes to Chubb, he demonstrated how productive he can be even after his injury. Cleveland hopes to see him continue to be a 1,000-yard back after using one of its picks on him.

The Browns need stability at the running back position and elsewhere after going 0-16 in 2017, and Chubb gives them some depth alongside Carlos Hyde and Duke Johnson. They were a mere 18th in the league in rushing yards per game in 2017, but Chubb gives them someone they can rely on to pick up yardage between the tackles and ideally anchor their ground game for years to come.