When Cleveland chose Jerome Ford in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, the Browns didn’t appear to have much need for another running back.

Nick Chubb had been a Pro Bowler for the previous three seasons. His backup, Kareem Hunt, was a former 1,000-yard rusher. And D’Ernest Johnson had run for 534 yards on 100 carries filling in when Hunt got hurt in 2021.

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As a rookie, Ford played only 14 offensive snaps, and he had 12 yards on eight rushing attempts.

But Ford still found a contributing role with Cleveland in 2022 as he led the AFC in kickoff returns and kickoff-return yards with 30 for 723.

In 2023, Ford’s role could spread into the Browns’ backfield, with Hunt and Johnson on course to become unrestricted free agents on Wednesday.

While speaking at the NFL Scouting Combine last week, Cleveland general manager Andrew Berry said Ford should have more chances to contribute to the Browns’ offense in the coming season, perhaps as the third-down back.

“Jerome, we thought, did a nice job for us his rookie year,” Berry said. “His main contributions were really within the kicking game, and he carved out a nice role as a really strong kick returner for us.

“One of the things that drew us to Jerome throughout last year’s draft process is his ability in the passing game, and he’ll certainly have opportunities going into his second year to potentially showcase those skills on a more extended level.”

Ford played his first two college seasons at Alabama. He ran for 37 yards on seven carries before being redshirted after four games in 2018, then had 114 yards and three touchdowns on 24 rushing attempts in 2019 before transferring to Cincinnati.

In 2021, Ford ran for 1,319 yards and 19 touchdowns on 215 carries and caught 21 passes for 220 yards and one touchdown for the Bearcats.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.