Georgia running backs are something else. Throughout the years, the Bulldogs have built up a stockpile of NFL greats, including Herschel Walker, Todd Gurley, Terrell Davis, Garrison Hearst, and, now, possibly Nick Chubb.
The second Georgia running back selected in the 2018 NFL Draft (Sony Michel – New England Patriots), Chubb found himself buried behind a stable group of backs in Cleveland. But he slowly worked up the rotation and sealed his fate as a starter by way of a mid-season Carlos Hyde trade to the Jacksonville Jaguars. By then, with just 173 career NFL rushing yards to his name, the deal signified that Chubb is the current and present of the Cleveland Browns’ rushing attack.
Chubb flourished in a lead role. Coming out Georgia, he looked the part of a true work-horse back – combining power, nimble feet, and plus instincts with Bulldog coaching isn’t fair. He finished his rookie year rushing for 996 yards and eight touchdowns on 196 attempts, good for 5.2 yards per carry. Now entering 2019, Chubb is a full-fledged starter for a potent Browns offense, but he has some numbers to hit.
3. 1,200 yards
Chubb finished his rookie year falling four yards short of a 1,000 yard rushing season; now in 2019, he has the opportunity to top that. Though Kareem Hunt is now in-fold, Chubb is the established starter—in large part because Hunt will miss the first eight games of the season due to a suspension—and should benefit from the Browns’ revamped offense now boasting Jarvis Landry, Odell Beckham Jr., Baker Mayfield, and a promising line.
With that known, the bar has raised from an additional four yards to an additional 204. Considering that Hunt, an immensely talented back, won’t play for the first eight games of the season, the Browns’ rushing attack will likely run through Chubb. If he stays as the lead back and plays all 16 games, there isn’t a reason he can’t shatter 1,000 yards and get to 1,200. In his ten games after the trade, he ran for 823 yards and six touchdowns. That converts to 1,317 yards and nearly ten scores in a full-season.
2. 11 touchdowns
Is this too high? Chubb’s adjusted stat line over a full-season based on ten games of work doesn’t even hit ten, but 11 is attainable. Though Hunt is on the roster and has scored 15 rushing touchdowns in 27 games in the NFL, Chubb is a better option as a goal-line back than the former Pro Bowler. His power with the ball in his hands and will to push piles are made to punch in touchdowns.
Chubb thrived with Freddie Kitchens calling plays, as the coach knew how to get him to the goal. That should continue in 2019. In 2018, according to PlayerProfiler.com, Chubb received 30 red zone touches; expect that number to get bigger. However, he’s more than a goal-line punch-in, he can also create a breakaway like that, as indicated by his 92-yard touchdown scamper last year and his 14 breakaway runs – per PlayerProfiler.com – that ranks sixth in the NFL.
1. 16 starts
This is simple. Chubb only started nine games and nearly hit 1,000 yards doing so, how good could his rookie season have been if he started more? He probably would’ve broken the previous yardage metric and others. Now, he’s solidified into the starting role. However, it’s not that simple. With Hunt on-board, the Browns will undoubtedly find a way to get the ball to their new star.
Chubb can stave Hunt off with an excellent first half of the season performance. If he plays up to his lofty expectations, there should be no reason as to why a – probably — rusty back should start over him. If he does retain the starting job for the season, Chubb may find himself entering the upper echelon at his position.
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