The Los Angeles Rams surprised many when they opted to select Michigan running back Blake Corum with the 83rd pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The Rams needed to address their running back depth behind 2023 standout Kyren Williams, but not many anticipated they would do so as early as the third round of the draft. However, Corum will be a featured part of their offense in 2024 and beyond.
Many analysts have struggled to figure out how the Rams will balance Corum and Williams, a feat made only more complicated by Williams' missing time in OTAs with an injury. The two are talented enough to be the lead runner on almost every other team in the league, so figuring out the workload between these two is a headache for fantasy football but a boon to the Rams' offense.
In a recent interview on the Rich Eisen show, Corum expanded on what the expectation of his role will be for the Rams and how the coaching staff will use him
"I think they are going to use me a little differently than Michigan did. I was more of a bellcow back, I was running the ball 20 plus times a game. I didn’t really catch the ball much. But you see how they use Kyren-who is a great running back-I think they’re going to use me as a real three-down running back. A guy that can catch, pass pro, and run the ball. They want a guy that can do it all and I can do that for them."
Corum did indeed not catch the ball often at Michigan, with just 21 catches on 24 targets in his last two years as a Wolverine. Last season, Corum ran just 105 routes, 102nd among all RBs in college football, according to Sports Info Solutions. However, he did have 20 catches in his 2021 season, a solid mark for Corum as part of a rotation with Hassan Haskins.
It does seem like the Rams are trying to get that ability to be a third-down back out of him. Not only was he not a frequently targeted receiver, he also wasn't a proven pass blocker in college. Corum allowed three pressures on just 38 pass-blocking attempts last year, an inauspicious ratio. Additionally, Corum's 38 pass blocks finished tied for 168th among all running backs last year.
The Rams are pushing Blake Corum into a role he isn't familiar with. However, Corum put in plenty of effort in the offseason to show coaches and scouts that he could be a true three-down back and could handle duties that Michigan didn't ask of him. I would argue that the Rams haven't had a true three-down back since Todd Gurley. If Blake Corum can lock that down, the Rams' offense becomes that much deadlier.
