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

1 – RB Henderson change-of-pace role not suited to be the featured running back

When the LA Rams drafted former Memphis running back Darrell Henderson, the idea was to add a change-of-pace option to the offense to relieve the burden from Todd Gurley.  As long as the team had Gurley to share the load, Henderson could get his 15-20 carries per game and the offense would have a balanced attack.

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But the running game seemed to sputter all over the place. Henderson never got on track, and that raised concerns among fans who were already on edge over Gurley’s health and production. But analyzing the 2019 season revealed that Henderson never got enough touches to make an impact.

Henderson’s draft profile states that he is a complimentary style of running back, a change of pace running back who rotates in for 10-15 touches in the game to mix up the defense timing. But the profile describes exactly what we saw in his 2019 performance. He is 5-foot-8 and 208-pounds, a fast but undersized running back who can catch the defense off-guard with misdirections, draws, and bursts.

But he does not generate much with 20 carries between the tackles week in and week out. Right now, that is the most critical role the Rams need to fill now.

In the end, the LA Rams do not have the offensive backfield prepared to begin an NFL season. One silver lining for this situation is that the 2020 NFL Draft is bursting with running back talent so deep that the lucky team could land a starter even from the ranks of undrafted runners.