Who Should I Start? Jerome Ford or Jarquez Hunter

Monday, July 28, 4:43 PM

Cleveland Browns running back Jerome Ford (undisclosed) returned to practice in a limited capacity on Monday, according to ESPN's Daniel Oyefusi. Oyefusi reports that Ford completed individual drills and then worked with a trainer on a separate field during the team portions of Cleveland's practice. The team never disclosed what caused Ford to miss time, but it appears as though he's close to returning to full strength. The fourth-year back is competing with rookies Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson for touches, but Judkins remains away from the team after being arrested on domestic violence charges. In 14 games last season, Ford recorded 790 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns. Particularly if Judkins misses significant time, Ford has a chance to seize the RB1 role in Cleveland and put up the best numbers of his career.

Thursday, July 10, 3:15 PM

Los Angeles Rams running back Jarquez Hunter was a fourth-round selection in the 2025 NFL Draft after a fantastic final season at Auburn. This offseason, the Rams coaching staff is pleased with his attention to detail and the way he has picked up the team's playbook. "He's a young man that's very focused on making sure he's doing exactly what we need him to do in order for him to take that next step," running backs coach Ron Gould said. "And then I was just very surprised at how quickly he picked up everything." The rookie will surely begin the season behind Pro Bowl running back Kyren Williams, but Williams struggled with explosiveness in 2024, posting just two 20-plus-yard runs on 316 carries. Meanwhile, Hunter ranked second nationally in runs of 10-plus yards per carry in 2024. With Blake Corum struggling to make an impact last year, Hunter could be the favorite to win the RB2 role. And if Williams continues to lack big-play upside, we could see a healthy mix of Hunter as a change-of-pace back. If he's the clear RB2 in Los Angeles, he has potential league-winning upside in the case of Williams injury.