Deep dive into Rams 2 newest players to learn what they bring to the team

Schrader is a potential waiver-wire steal for the Rams

Cody Schrader comes with some pretty impressive preseason stats for an undrafted rookie runnier:

If you want to read an impressive story, look no further. Cody Schrader scored a tremendous number of touchdowns at Lutheran South High School, 104 was the exact number. But he couldn't attract any D-1 scholarship offers. So, he began his NCAA football career at D-II school Truman State. He earned the Grand Valley Conference Co-Offensive Player of the Year honors in 2021 for leading all D-II running backs with 2,074 rushing yards. He ended his time at Truman State with 3,069 yards and 39 touchdowns.

"That is still the biggest question (that) I have not had answered. I did everything I thought I could do, but sometimes it just does not work out that way."

- Cody Schrader

He played his final two years of NCAA eligibility at Missouri, rushing for 2,372 rushing yards for the Missouri Tigers in just two years. In his final six games in 2023, he averaged 161.5 yards per game. He has plenty of experience in both the shotgun and pistol offensive formations. Thanks to glowing reports, Schrader was projected to come off the draft board as early as Round 5.

How about some college plays to give you a handle one what I'm talking about? Here is Cody Schrader seeing daylight, pivoting hard, and running right into that direction:

In this play, he follows a wall of blockers and remains untouched. I like the fact that he keeps his head up, waits for his blockers to do their jobs, and follows the convoy to daylight.

If you expect to see Schrader suit up and get some snaps, that may take a while. The Rams offense demands that running backs demonstrate an ability to block before getting carries. To put it frankly, Schrader is not very effective at blocking.

He exploded into the SEC after two seasons in D-II football, and many expect him to have next to no trouble transitioning to the NFL either. Cody Schrader is a gritty and determined runner who is less likely to break a run for the distance, and far more likely to wear down defenses over time and continue to gain ever longer runs over the course of a game.

And yes, he was very impressive throughout his week of practicing for the Senior Bowl

The Rams roster now boasts three players whose stock rose significantly at the Senior Bowl: Miami safety Kamren Kinchens, Florida State DT Braden Fiske, and now Missouri RB Cody Schrader. While he may be a back-burner prospect, he has all the makings of a contributor to the team.

As always, thanks for reading.