Nick Shook of NFL.com released his list of the Top 10 most explosive runners in the NFL and Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb finds himself in special company. Chubb comes in at sixth overall with an explosive score of 86. Noted are Chubb’s 47 rushes of 10 yards or more, the most in the NFL. Shook goes into detail noting that he was initially higher on the list before settling on six for Chubb.
“Chubb’s numbers remain impressive, but Cleveland’s offensive struggles certainly contributed to his sixth-place ranking on this list. Initially, I put him in the top three, partially because of his league-leading 47 runs of 10-plus yards. But a deeper look into his production reveals a symptom of Cleveland’s deficiencies: His success rate was lower than some of his peers on this list, due in part to Cleveland’s blocking giving him an expected yards per carry below four (3.8), and he received the second-most carries (302) among runners in this group. As many know, his top-end speed doesn’t quite stack up with some of the faster backs in this group, either — although his top gear packs some sneaky get-away burst.”
Shook also mentioned that Nick Chubb was the only qualifying running back to have 10 or more first downs over expected (14). This is in addition to his 22 rushes of 10 yards or more.
2022 was the best season in the five-year career of Nick Chubb. Chubb was dominant last season, rushing for a career-high 1,525 yards and 12 touchdowns (tied for career-best) in 17 games. The Browns offense has revolved around him in some capacity since being drafted and rightfully so. Chubb is one of, if not the best running back in the league. Utilizing an elite talent in this manner is just smart offensive strategy. Especially when that talent plays a position with relatively short shelf life.
