The last two Cleveland Browns seasons have been very subpar for their running back room. The team has been at the bottom of several NFL running back statistics. Before these last two seasons, they had been one of the best departments, but with Nick Chubb running into injury troubles things have gone south. The team needs to build back and strengthen this part of their team during this offseason.

The free agency market opens in the next few weeks, followed by the NFL Draft, and the Browns will be looking at running backs in both of these places.

According to many who are analyzing this year’s draft prospects this draft is stacked with strong runners. It’s just what the doctor ordered for the Browns. In this series, we will look at several running backs that could help the Browns get back to being one of the better running games in the league.

I’ve already mentioned two running in previous mock drafts including DJ Giddens of Kansas State and Omarion Hampton of North Carolina so we won’t mention them in this series. But still, there are many other possibilities for the team.

Running Back: Cam Skattebo, Arizona State

Cam Skattebo made a name for himself in the most recent college playoffs where he almost single-handedly beat Texas in the semi-final game. Unfortunately, the season ended for him and his Sun Devils in that game despite the heroic efforts.

While a lot of people didn’t know who he was before the Texas game, they do now as he could be drafted as high as the first or second round of the draft. He ran for a whopping 1,711 yards at Arizona State this past season. Considering he began his collegiate career at Sacramento State a small program where he played his first two seasons, his rise to stardom has been impressive to watch.

He had a stellar high school career collecting 69 touchdowns and over 6,100 yards rushing. He had several high school games where he ran for 200 or 300 yards apiece, but still he wasn’t heavily recruited. That’s all in the rearview mirror now as he prepares to be drafted into the NFL.

The kid is a freight train and a lot of Browns fans would fall in love with him because of his work ethic and drive.

The Browns once had a running back named Peyton Hillis who played for the team for two seasons back in 2010 and 2011. In his 2010 season, Hillis rumbled for 1,177 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also caught 61 passes for 477 yards. Skattebo’s bruising running style and ability to catch passes coming out of the backfield reminds one of Hillis and his past style.

Skattebo shows extraordinary balance while running and taking contact when being tackled. He thrives on contact and unlike most running backs in college and the NFL his ability to stay upright and drive forward is astonishing when you watch it on tape.

The bumps and bruises that he has taken, which will only be harder when he enters the NFL may play a factor in his longevity, but his desire, motivation, and skill sets are extra extraordinary.

He can hit a hole in the defense behind his blockers and create lanes that he somehow can push through or on a run that looks to go outside he can tiptoe the sideline and have the balance to move forward and pick up another five or 10 yards.

Of all the running backs that I’ve watched on film this off-season, he has the most impressive bruising type of running that could make him a star early in his career. It’s the longevity of his career that could be in question.