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Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay hasn't hid his excitement about the addition of Michigan running back Blake Corum. Corum, the 3rd running back off the board in the 2024 NFL Draft, was selected with the 83rd pick by the Rams following his senior season at Michigan in which he scored 27 rushing touchdowns, a Wolverines single-season record, while on his way to helping Michigan win their first National Championship since 1997. At the completion of OTA's, McVay offered this glowing review of his rookie running back.
“On the offensive side, I’ve been pleased with a lot of guys, but Blake Corum has really stood out,” McVay said, according to Trent Knoop of Sports Illustrated. “Mature beyond his years. I love the way that he handles himself.”
In regard to the way Blake Corum handles himself, McVay noted that he's reminded of Rams incumbent starting running back, Kyren Williams.
“One of the things that jumped off is there’s a lot of traits that reminded me of Kyren Williams,” McVay said after selecting Corum back in April, per Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. “Obviously I love Kyren and he’s been so important, and just the human being, but then also when you just look at the way he works at it, the production and the things that he was able to bring to our offense last year, and even really some of the things that he worked through his rookie year. I think there’s a lot of similarities.”
The question now is, how does Kyren Williams, who is entering his 3rd season in the league, feel about the prospect of potentially splitting carries with the consensus All-American?
“I'm super excited that we went to go draft Blake Corum,” Kyren Williams said Tuesday during an appearance on the Rich Eisen Show (h/t Nick Shook of NFL.com). “(He's) somebody that can run the ball very well and hopefully it allows me to get to the slot or run routes out of the backfield to showcase my skills.”
Even though Williams, who had a surprising breakout year in 2023 following the Rams' early-season trade of Cam Akers, is fully anticipating being the lead back for Los Angeles, his mindset is all about what the entire running back unit can do in 2024.
“Obviously, we talk together about what we can do as a unit with every guy. Myself, Ronnie (Rivers), Zach Evans, Boston Scott and even Blake Corum, we talk about what we can do as a whole. We are just working each and every single day to be where we want to be.”
Kyren Williams, Rams look to build off of successful 2023 season
After a rookie season in which he rushed for just 139 yards on 35 carries, Kyren Williams exploded in year two, finishing with 1,144 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns on 228 carries. He also added 32 receptions for 206 yards and 3 touchdowns. Despite missing five games, Williams still managed to finish third in the NFL in total rushing yards. But it wasn't just the box score where Williams was making his presence felt. In the twelve games in which Williams suited up, the Rams were 8-4. Without him, they were 2-3.
“No doubt, we’re different when he plays,” McVay said following a late December win over Seattle last season (h/t Stu Jackson of TheRams.com). “I mean, you just look at it. I mean, now there’s enough inventory and the energy, the production, just the overall work ethic. I mean, there are so many guys on this team that you just say, man, they are exactly what we’re looking for in Rams. I love him.”
For his production in 2023, Williams earned 2nd Team All-Pro honors, but he's got his eyes on a bigger prize in 2024.
“If you are not first, you're last. So, I'm going to continue to work.”
