If you watched any Michigan football over the past two seasons, you saw why the Rams drafted Corum. A physical power back with consecutive years over 1,250 rush yards and at least 18 rushing touchdowns, Corum proved capable in running in any system while breaking tackles and picking up chunks of yardage at a time. He was a solid pass blocker and not a bad receiver even though his opportunities were limited, but his strength is in his vision and his cuts. In many ways he's a lot like Kyren Williams, whom he'll try to swipe touches from this season. We've seen Williams suffer multiple injuries throughout his short career, and if it happens again Corum could be at the helm of a very good offense with lots of touches (he worked as the starter in OTAs with Williams sidelined in May). He's a priority pick in Round 9 of redraft leagues (a round sooner if you want to back up Williams), and he's also worthy of an early second-round pick in rookie-only drafts.
Corum is listed as the Rams' top kick returner on their depth chart ahead of Sunday's season opener versus the Lions, Cameron DaSilva of USA Today reports.
Corum is coming off an impressive training camp in which he locked up the No. 2 running back role behind Kyren Williams and subsequently was held out of preseason games. Head coach Sean McVay appears ready and willing to deploy both of his top backs on special teams, saying that Corum "has come in and done an outstanding job" while adding that Williams is the Rams' top punt returner in part due to "confidence in [Corum] and Ronnie Rivers being able to spell [Williams] if need be, per Kyle Austin of MLive.com. It's a bit unorthodox to now have Corum also working in the return game, though DaSilva notes that the rookie third-round pick has some experience in that department, having returned 18 kicks with Michigan between the 2020 and 2021 seasons. Williams is coming off an exceptional 2023 breakout campaign in which he dominated backfield reps, but adding special-teams duties to both his and Corum's workloads could necessitate a shift in the Rams' backfield usage.
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Rams' Blake Corum: Already making good impression
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Coach Sean McVay said Thursday in an OTAs recap video that Corum "has really stood out" early this offseason, Cameron DaSilva of USA Today reports.
Corum, a rookie third-round pick, had a chance to handle extra reps during OTAs while starter Kyren Williams dealt with a foot injury, though Los Angeles' backfield was fully healthy for June minicamp. McVay praised Corum's "mental toughness" and "the way that he handles himself," and said that the rookie will "definitely" have an opportunity to contribute as a pass catcher. Williams still appears entrenched as the clear top option in the Rams' backfield, but if Corum can keep his momentum up throughout training camp, he could have an opportunity to push for a notable role early in his career.
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Rams' Blake Corum: Adds competition for Kyren Williams
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The Rams selected Corum in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft, 83rd overall.
This is an interesting pairing as Los Angeles found a diamond in the rough in Kyren Williams in 2022, but Corum was likely the best player available at this stage. Corum had a storied career at Michigan with 3,736 yards on 675 rushes (5.5 YPC) and a whopping 58 scores on the ground, including 27 in his senior season. He's a stout back at a shade under 5-foot-8 and 205 pounds who doesn't have blazing speed but has tremendous vision and runs with exceptional toughness to pick up yards. Pass catching won't be his meal ticket in the NFL, but it doesn't need to be with Williams picking up that part of the offense. Corum is a threat to take carries from Williams right out of the gate, and while this strengthens the Rams backfield significantly, handicapping this backfield will be a headache for fantasy managers.
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Blake Corum: Checks boxes at 2024 Combine
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Corum ran a 4.53 in the 40-yard dash and added a 35.5-inch vertical jump during his workout at the 2024 NFL Combine.
The Michigan product wasn't expected to test as a superior athlete based on his tape, but his workout won't cause his stock to slip much by any means. He placed 12th out of 21 running backs in the 40 while having a dense, 5-foot-8, 205-pound frame. His agility proved to be solid as well considering his cone (6.82) and shuttle times (4.12) were among the best among his position group. His strength was on display with a running back-leading 27 reps on the bench, too. Corum had gaudy production over his final three seasons at Michigan with 56 rushing touchdowns in that span, highlighted by 27 in his senior season. He doesn't have any standout traits but is a solid all-around runner who can contribute on all three downs. Corum can handle a heavy workload and pick up the blitz, and his pass-catching numbers (51 catches, 64 targets, 338 yards) check out as workable for the next level. He may no longer be the consensus No.1 running back in the class after this weekend as other backs did manage to post impressive workouts, but Corum should be among the first three backs taken in April.
