5 reasons why RB is now LA Rams top priority in 2020 NFL Draft

4 – Fullback position

Before the Rams released Gurley, the team was in need of adding a fullback in 2020.  Now, the need for a fullback is even more critical. Right now, the team has only durable Malcolm Brown who has no flash, and flashy Darrell Henderson who has no durability.  The team needs a bowling ball to line up in the offensive backfield.

Brown benefits from a fullback by blocking defenders, giving the slower strides of Brown a chance to get to daylight before encountering defender attempts to wrap arms around him and bring him down. Brown has the durability to pound away with the football.  He simply does not possess that burst of speed to get him past the line of scrimmage often enough to punish the backside of the defense through the course of a game.

Henderson needs a fullback for a different reason. He can get through a hole quickly, but he cannot hold up against repeated waves of defenders when the hole is not there.  He needs a stronger player to be the first contact.  That way, the fullback doles out the punishment at the line of scrimmage and gives Henderson the “bounce it outside” option which makes him so very dangerous in the game.

One of the understated values of adding a big-bodied back in the offensive backfield is that extra protection he affords QB Jared Goff. The Rams seemed to struggle to get the deep routes of Brandin Cooks and the timing of Goff in sync in 2019.  A fullback will give Goff confidence to let those routes develop, and will allow him to hit Cooks in stride deep downfield.