Rams preseason hype is building for a player who was barely on the radar

The Los Angeles Rams have a lot of talent on the roster for 2025, far too many players for this team can corral under the 53-man Rams roster limit in time for the regular season. Some very talented players will be released, if for no more fault of their own than the annual NFL numbers game.

One such position that seems overstocked with talent right now for the Rams appears to be the running back room. And that does not bode well for returning veteran Cody Schrader. However, in the Rams' 31-21 preseason win over the Dallas Cowboys, he might have just changed his luck.

With plenty of fanfare over rookie Jarquez Hunter, a new extension for Kyren Williams, and Blake Corum shedding weight to be more explosive, it seemed as though the odd man out was going to be Schrader. He did next to nothing in 2024, but remained on the roster. We may now know why he stuck around.

Cody Schrader's stock is skyrocketing after one preseason game

The Rams offered running backs plenty of opportunities to carry the football against Dallas. Of 38 carries, 31 came from the backs. And of those runs, Schrader carried the ball five times.

That's all he needed to lead the running backs in yards. He finished with 59, landing him among the Top-10 NFL rushers in preseason, with only two games remaining to be played in Week 1 of the preseason.

Better still, he hauled in his only pass for a beautiful nine-yard touchdown reception. As was the case for teammates Blake Corum and Brennan Pressley, this was his first touchdown since joining the Rams one year ago. And he made it extra special by making it a touchdown reception.

It's only one game. And Schrader is very much on the roster bubble right now. But he caught the eye of the Rams front office a year ago, and just put up a jaw-dropping performance that had to solidify the attention they previously showed. Will it be enough to preserve his roster slot on the team? We'll have to wait and see.

But some NFL team is going to end up with a promising young NFL running back. I hope it's the Rams. As always, thanks for reading.

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