2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Quinshon Judkins

Last Updated: 02/9/2025

Career Stats 

Summary  

Quinshon Judkins wasted no time upon arriving at Ole Miss, leading the SEC in multiple rushing categories while amassing over 1,600 scrimmage yards. This success was unsustainable, and he regressed in 2023, ultimately leading him to transfer to Ohio State for his 2024 campaign. This proved wise, and it may have been his most impressive season. Even while splitting carries with TreVeyon Henderson, Judkins still managed to top 1,000 yards rushing and found the end zone 14 times on the ground on over 70 fewer touches than the year before. 

Judkins has a stout frame at 6-foot, 219 pounds and is prototypical NFL size. Using every pound of his frame, he often steamrolls defenders while winning the leverage battles. He marries this with a powerful lower body and impressive contact balance, allowing him to string together missed tackles. This power game is his bread and butter, and he does not possess the elusiveness to string together missed tackles and even fails on occasion to make the initial defender miss. Countering this with surprising speed and burst allows him to blow by defenders in the second level. This is executed in a slalom-like fashion, aided by his natural ability to accelerate while rounding corners or adjusting off-path. Once in the open field, he has enough speed to take runs the distance despite being a “power back.” 

Some of his best traits are before he hits the line of scrimmage. Judkins has good patience, which allows his pulling blockers to set up in front of him or creases to open up in zone-concept schemes. Pairing this with good vision allows him to hit cutback lanes and expose over-pursuing defenders. Enhancing this is his fluid transition and ability to get small through the hole, helping him gain positive yards before defenders can get a solid lick on him. 

When it comes to the passing game, there is a lot to be desired. He has average hands at best, which limits him to traditional dump-offs. We also see a lack of route exposure and even passing-down snaps. He will be able to run all the routes that the NFL will likely ask of him, but he will not be dominant in the passing game. When it comes to blocking, it’s even worse. Having a stout frame and aggressive nature gives him the tools to be a solid blocker, he just doesn’t have the technique or refinement right now to constantly succeed. Improvement here is possible and critical for him to be a three-down player.

Strengths 

• Bursty 
• Initiates contact 
• Vision
• Fluid runner 

Weaknesses

• Open-field elusiveness 
• Top-end speed 
• Hands  

Honors and Awards 

• Conerly Trophy (2022)
• SEC Freshman of the Year (2022)
• CBS National Freshman of the Year (2022)
• SEC AP Newcomer of the Year (2022)
• Freshman All-American (2022)
• First-team all-SEC (2023)

 Athletic Testing 

• 40-yard dash: TBD
• Vertical: TBD
• Broad Jump: TBD
• Three-cone: TBD
• Shuttle: TBD
• Bench: TBD

NFL Role Prediction

• Early-down back with the upside to be a three-down player  

Scheme Fit

• Gap/Interior Zone

Fantasy Outlook 

Quinshon Judkins has been one of the most potent runners in college football for the last three years. This should transition to the NFL level. However, with a lack of passing-game prowess, he will need to land in an ideal spot. They will need to be willing to build around him as a focal point of the offense. If he can find this, there will be RB1 upside with constant RB2 production. With improvement in the passing game, the upside could be immense. 

Player Comparisons 

• Josh Jacobs 
• David Montgomery 
• James Conner