RADIO
Leading up to the 2024 NFL Draft, the widespread belief was that Jim Harbaugh would draft and reunite with his former Michigan running back Blake Corum. Instead, Harbaugh opted for a different Wolverine, linebacker Junior Colson, in the third round.
Corum will at least play in the same stadium as his former mentor. The Rams selected the diminutive, yet powerful running back with the 83rd overall pick.
Corum will arrive in Los Angeles with better draft capital than the incumbent, Kyren Williams. But the latter finished second in the league in fantasy points per game by a running back last season. The Rams’ backfield isn’t quite as clear as it was just a month ago.
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College Production
Touchdowns, touchdowns, touchdowns. Opposing defenses could always find Blake Corum in the endzone.
Corum led college football with 27 rushing touchdowns in his senior season. That's at least one score in all 15 of Michigan's games in 2023. He failed to have a multi-touchdown game just three times. Oklahoma State's Ollie Gordon II finished with 21 rushing touchdowns. The pair were the only running backs to top 20 scores on the ground. It wasn't just Corum's senior season that stood out. He scored 11 as a sophomore, then hit paydirt 18 times as a junior.
MICHIGAN IS 1 STOP AWAY FROM THE NATTY pic.twitter.com/Aez1sOpKnU
— College Football Report (@CFBRep) January 2, 2024
Michigan also viewed Corum as the engine of their offense. He carried the ball 285 times last season. J.J. McCarthy completed 240 passes. Considering the Wolverines won the National Championship, Corum proved that, despite his size, he's big enough to carry an offense.
How efficient was Corum? Most running backs can put up eye-opening numbers with that amount of opportunities. The two-time, top-10 Heisman finalist is patient and follows the blocks of his outstanding Michigan offensive line. When he met first contact, Corum didn't keep his feet as well as in past seasons. He registered 2.42 yards after contact per carry. That figure was significantly better in 2022 (3.36). For a running back who won't blow by defenders with his speed, every extra bit of yardage is crucial to staying on the field and NFL rosters.
Corum did suffer a torn meniscus and sprained MCL toward the end of his junior campaign, which may have contributed to his decision to return to school and not enter the 2023 NFL Draft. It could also have contributed to the lack of efficiency last season.
Rookie Year Situation
“One of the things that jumped off is there’s a lot of traits that reminded me of Kyren Williams ... I think there’s a lot of similarities.” - Sean McVay
Sean McVay’s quote about Corum can be taken in one of two ways. He views the rookie as a complimentary piece who will siphon some of Williams’ rushing touchdowns. Finding the endzone is, as stated above, one of Corum’s biggest strengths. The second way to take the quote is that Corum is simply a backup to trot onto the field if/when Williams needs a breather or suffers an injury.
The Rams needed to make a noteworthy addition to their backfield. When Williams missed significant time in 2023, Los Angeles' team brass signed Darrell Henderson off the street to lead the team in carries. When Williams returned from his stint on injured reserve, Henderson was rewarded for his service with a demotion to the practice squad. McVay didn’t (and seemingly still doesn’t) trust then-rookie Zach Evans to carry the load.
That’s been the modus operandi of McVay since the wheels fell off for Todd Gurley. He’s been hesitant to trust a lead running back and will quickly move on from the previous year's starter. Henderson has been largely involved as the "fail safe" while McVay learns to trust the back that eventually leads the way. Even though Akers became the leading rusher in 2022, he was inactive midseason while the team actively looked to trade him. The two sides eventually reconciled.
| Season | Leading Rusher | Stats | Next Season Stats |
| 2020 | Cam Akers | 145 attempts, 625 yards | 5 attempts, 3 yards* |
| 2021 | Sony Michel | 208 attempts, 845 yards | Off Roster |
| 2022 | Cam Akers | 188 attempts, 786 yards | Traded midseason |
| 2023 | Kyren Williams | 228 attempts, 1,144 yards | ?? |
*Akers tore his Achilles in training camp
Williams was a fifth-round pick when he entered the league in 2022. There are always exceptions to the rule, but running backs drafted that late aren’t usually around for the long haul.
Fantasy Outlook
Does this mean Corum will take over the top spot on the running back depth chart in Los Angeles? Doubtful. Unless Williams misses a significant amount of time, Corum will be no better than a low-floor flex in deeper leagues. There will be Sundays when Corum plunges into the end zone. There will be other games when the rookie finishes with three touches for eight yards. Williams will be atop the depth chart and profiles as the receiving back for passing situations.
Take it to the (Rams) house! @Kyrenwilliams23 helps even the score in LA
📺: #SFvsLAR on FOX
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/FhXtx7w3wW pic.twitter.com/aci3iUYx6f— NFL (@NFL) September 17, 2023
The addition of Corum will lower the price for both running backs in fantasy football drafts this summer. Williams was slotted in as a first-round pick in redraft leagues earlier this spring. He's since slipped into the second. Again, the Rams weren't going to enter the season with Williams, Evans, and Ronnie Rivers as their depth chart. They've also added veteran Boston Scott. Corum does enter as one of the best running back prospects in this class (a.k.a. not another Evans or Rivers), but Williams is the unquestioned RB1 until proven otherwise.
Corum is also on the older end of NFL draftees. He'll turn 24 in November and already has a hefty workload and significant injury under his belt. His new teammate, Williams, turns 24 just a few months before Corum, and he's played two seasons of NFL football.
After offering him an albatross contract that didn't pan out, the Rams may have learned their lesson with Gurley and running backs, possibly opening the door for Corum to take over when William's contract expires at the end of the 2025 season. Fantasy managers may have to be patient with Corum, but he'll still be worthy of a second-round pick in rookie drafts.
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