The Los Angeles Rams made waves when they selected Michigan running back Blake Corum in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Coming off the heels of a productive season on the ground led by Kyren Williams, the Rams were expected to add to their running back room, but nobody expected such an early investment.
Since being selected, Blake Corum has seemingly passed every test the Rams have put in front of him. Every report out of the Rams about Corum has been glowing, including head coach Sean McVay going out of his way to praise Corum after the team's OTA period.
"On the offensive side, I've been pleased with a lot of guys, but Blake Corum has really stood out. Mature beyond his years. I love the way that he handles himself. I love even more how when there's been a couple of things that didn't go the way we wanted, how he responded the next play. The mental toughness that you see from him."
McVay has gone out of his way numerous times to praise Corum's ability. Even in the new "NFL Draft: The Pick Is In" series the NFL released, McVay and Rams general manager Les Snead were seen praising Corum's receiving ability during the draft.
#Rams HC Sean McVay on rookies who impressed in minicamp:
— The Coachspeak Index (@CoachspeakIndex) June 13, 2024
“Blake Corum’s really stood out. Mature beyond his years. I love the way that he handles himself. I love even more how when there’s been a couple things that don’t go the way we wanted, how he responded the next play.” pic.twitter.com/CispOQryGl
Corum's OTA period showed a mature player who seemingly picked up the playbook easily and his talent popped off in camp.
The offseason is filled with typical "coachspeak" and unseen praise, but when McVay speaks, it's wise to listen. Remember, he warned the league about Puka Nacua last summer, and the Rams felt confident in the state of the team in an offseason nobody picked them to make the playoffs.
The Rams drafted Corum likely to spell Kyren Williams, who shouldered the workload for the team last season but struggled with injuries. At the time, the pick was praised due to their similarities as runners and how the Rams wouldn't skip a beat if Corum came in for Williams.
Quite frankly, I think that's underselling Blake Corum. He's outright a better football player. It's the differences that define the two.
Corum is a better athlete than Williams. He demonstrated better vision, patience, and processing ability than Williams. The one area in which Williams has a real leg up on Corum is in pass protection, as Williams excels there.
In an interview on the Rich Eisen show last week, Corum revealed that the Rams are working to build up his ability to play on all three downs. Many have speculated that Corum could be the third-down back with Williams leading the run game work. It might be the opposite, given Corum's advantages as a runner and Williams's ability in pass protection.
While it might seem premature to make this kind of claim, I fully believe that Corum will emerge as the RB1 this season for the Rams. It's only a matter of time.
