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New York Giants Draft Prospect Profile: RB Quinshon Judkins, Ohio State

Quinshon Judkins is an elusive power back who breaks tackles and racks up yards after contact.

Nick Falato

Jan 20, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes running back Quinshon Judkins (1) celebrates after defeating the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the CFP National Championship college football game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Jan 20, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes running back Quinshon Judkins (1) celebrates after defeating the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the CFP National Championship college football game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
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Quinshon Judkins has the upside to be a 1A running back or the "thunder" in a running back by committee.

Quinshon Judkins, RB

  • Height: 6’0”
  • Weight: 221 lbs
  • Class: Junior
  • School: Ohio State, Ole Miss
  • Hand size: 9 ¼”
  • Arm length: 30 ¼”
  • 40-yard-dash: 4.48s
  • 10-yard-split: 1.51s
  • Vertical Jump: 38.5”
  • Broad Jump: 11”0”
  • STATS

A former three-star recruit out of Pike Road High School in Pike Road, Alabama, where he was the 29th recruit from his state and the 53rd running back during the 2021 cycle.

Judkins had two phenomenally productive seasons at Ole Miss with Lane Kiffin before transferring to Ohio State after the 2023 season. Judkins was a four-star recruit in the transfer portal and was the number one running back (9th overall player).  

Judkins won the Conerly Trophy in 2022 – the same year he secured the SEC Freshman of the Year award. The Conerly Trophy is bestowed onto the best football player in Mississippi; the trophy is named after former New York Giants quarterback, Charlie Conerly.

Judkins was a First-Team All-SEC selection in 2022 and 2023; he earned Third-Team All-Big-10 in 2024, playing alongside TreVeyon Henderson and helping the Ohio State Buckeyes secure a National Championship.

He averaged 3.23 yards after contact through his college career, with a 3.04 average in 2024. He forced 197 missed tackles through three seasons, with 43 as a Buckeye. Judkins graded very high in Pro Football Focus’ system through his three years in college. 

Strengths

  • Excellent running back build – thickness throughout
  • NFL body with three down upside
  • Thick runner who runs behind his pads – brings physicality and power to the position 
  • Very good athlete who is difficult to frame
  • Enough speed to gain the edge outside the tackles – light on his feet
  • Efficient feet behind the LOS
  • More elusiveness in space than one would expect from a 220+ pound back
  • Speed + physicality allows him to run through tackle attempts
  • Downhill rusher with an attitude – difficult overall player to tackle
  • Excellent initial burst through the hole 
  • Solid overall vision and patience behind the line of scrimmage 
  • Good backside vision to feel LB flow and attacks
  • Does well to press the line of scrimmage and force LB consternation 
  • Lowers shoulder to deliver pain – excellent play strength 
  • Excellent contact balance and excellent ability to absorb hits
  • Gets low and churns his lower-body through contact
  • Falls forward when he goes down
  • Willing in pass protection – still raw
  • Plays with elite aggression and toughness
  • Rarely fumbled the football
  • Strong playoff push helped secure National Title: five touchdowns in three games
  • Is still 21 years old

Weaknesses

  • Gets caught exercising too much patience
  • Speed isn’t an issue but he does lack true homerun speed 
  • Can press the hole too far and overcommit 
  • Several plays where decisiveness should be called into question 
  • Isn’t a dynamic receiver out of the backfield, but is capable 
  • Could use some more work in pass protection
Quinshon Judkins
Jan 20, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes running back Quinshon Judkins (1) against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the CFP National Championship college football game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Summary

Quinshon Judkins is a downhill physical runner with controlled aggression and excellent contact balance. Judkins isn’t the make him miss in a phone booth type of rusher, rather one who will run directly through the obsolete communication location and possibly its adjacent brick wall.

He also uses efficient footwork behind the line of scrimmage as a zone rusher; he possesses better feet than most 220+ pound backs. Judkins has an NFL ready body with three down upside.

He may not be dynamic as a receiver but he’s perfectly capable as a check down option and is a willing/strong asset in pass protection, albeit a technically raw one.

There are still elements of Judkins’ rushing that could improve, mostly consistency with decisiveness, patience, and vision.

Overall, Judkins has the upside to be a 1A running back or the THUNDER in a running back by committee, and there’s still untapped upside if he can refine the nuances of the position. 

GRADE: 6.65

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Nick Falato
NICK FALATO

Nick Falato is co-host of the Big Blue Banter podcast. In addition to Giants Country, his work has appeared on SB Nation.

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