With Bengals’ first-round draft pick Shemar Stewart finally under contract, only one 2025 selection remains unsigned.
Browns running back Quinshon Judkins, the fourth pick in round two, is not under contract. And it’s not about whether he’ll receive a fully-guaranteed contract. The player taken before him did, and the four taken after him did.
This is about the possibility, if not the likelihood, that Judkins will land on paid leave as soon as he signs and shows up, due to a recent arrest for misdemeanor domestic battery. His better move will be to resolve the case, negotiate an unpaid suspension, and then sign his contract.
This assumes the Browns still want him. They say they’re doing their due diligence. Which, in theory, could prompt them to do something like relinquish their rights to him.
It’s unclear whether they would do that. He’s accused of punching his girlfriend in the mouth/chin with a closed fist. And he’s the third Browns player in the past year to face domestic violence issues, joining defensive tackle Mike Hall and linebacker Devin Bush.
Someone will inevitably give Judkins a second chance; his talent guarantees that. The question is whether it will come with the Browns. And, if it does, how many games he’ll miss before he’s cleared to play.