It’s already clear this Rams rookie won’t have an easy path to playing time

The Los Angeles Rams offense is not kind to rookies. Not really. This is an offense that is steeped in veterans, simple in design but complex to execute, and demanding that players master blocking, pace setting, route running, and even separation before getting real opportunities to take the football field. Then, once the possibility of playing time becomes real, the rookie(s) must outperform veterans who have been perfecting their roles in this high-bar scenario.

Unless a veteran starter stumbles or is injured, qualified rookies may never see the football field.

From the moment that the Los Angeles Rams selected speedy running back Jarquez Hunter in the 2025 NFL Draft, the team was already bringing back four veteran running backs from 2024. Not just any old players, but players who had made the 53-man Rams roster. Worse yet, the Rams' rushing offense may have held four options, but the team was stuck in a rut of pushing the burden of running on RB Kyren Williams more than 80 percent of the time.

That means that rookie RBs Blake Corum and Cody Schrader with veteran RB Ronnie Rivers were little more than glorified bench warmers in 2024. And they are all eager to get their shots at carrying the football. Because they are returning veterans in this offense, they are all more experienced and accomplished at doing all of the things that the Rams expect of running backs.

So, It’s already clear Rams rookie Jarquez Hunter won’t have an easy path to playing time

Here's something you can't do

A difficult path is not an impossible path. Many literary classics are built on the premise of a difficult path, which becomes embedded in our DNA at an early age as a requirement for heroism. From Mother Goose nursery rhymes to J.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth, heroics start with someone ultimately overcoming a very difficult path.

So is Jarquez Hunter the hero of this story? Perhaps.

For now, let's focus on what we know him to be. He is the fastest running back on the Rams roster. No, not Tutu Atwell fast. But when it comes to seeing daylight and breaking free, he has an afterburner that can kick in and prevent him from being run down from behind:

• RB Blake Corum | 5-foot-8 | 210 pounds | 4.53 seconds 40-yard dash | 58 carries | 207 yards | 0 TDs | 14.6 % carries | 12.9 % yards
• RB Ronnie Rivers | 5-foot-9 | 192 pounds | 4.60 seconds 40-yard dash | 22 carries | 99 yards | 0 TDs | 5.5 % carries | 6.2 % yards
• RB Cody Schrader | 5-foot-9 | 214 pounds | 4.61 seconds 40-yard dash | 1 carry | 3 yards | 0 TDs | 0.8 % carries | 0.2 % yards
• RB Kyren Williams | 5-foot-9 | 202 pounds | 4.65 seconds 40-yard dash |316 carries | 1,299 yards | 14 TDs | 80.0 % carries | 80.8 % yards
• RB Jaquez Hunter | 5-foot-9 | 204 pounds | 4.44 seconds 40-yard dash | Rookie
• RB Jordan Waters | 6-foot-0 | 225 pounds | 4.57 seconds 40-yard dash | Rookie

So, he is a speedster? So what. Well, not exactly. You see, he can run past defenders, or run through them. He doesn't depend on being elusive, not as long as his powerful pistons are pumping. And his unexpected power in such a compact form is something the Rams running back room has simply not seen for many years:

The Rams ran for 20+ yards only twice in 2024. That was dead last among 32 NFL teams. So that should be fixed this year.

If you look at the chart, Jarquez Hunter can hit explosive plays more than 15 percent of his runs, either between the tackles or outside of the tackles. That's far better than any other running back on the Rams roster. It's the very type of explosiveness that the Rams are seeking to infuse into their offense in all aspects of the game.

The Rams may have been pleased with the production of RB Kyren Williams in 2024, but at what cost? The rushing offense was only good enough to be ranked 24th out of 32 teams. That works out to the bottom 25th percentile. Worse yet, the Rams lost three fumbles last season, which was the seventh-most in the NFL.

Something has to change, quickly.

Quickness in Jarquez Hunter's specialty. While I'm uncertain if Rams fans will witness just how dangerous he can be in the offense during the preseason, he is a custom-fit weapon for HC Sean McVay. The Rams have not been blessed with his combination of speed and power since perhaps RB Steven Jackson (4.45 seconds 40-yard dash).

It will be a lot of fun to see how the modern Rams offense uses that speed. Grab some popcorn and enjoy. And as always, thank you for reading.

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