Rams rookie RB Blake Corum didn't get the memo that he is a backup RB

More than durability lured the Rams to Blake Corum

On almost every draft board, rookie prospect Blake Corum was valued as one of the top running backs of the 2024 rookie class. That is a lofty amount of respect for a runner who stands 5-foot-8 and weighs 210 pounds. But as we had pointed out previously, the Rams spec sheet for their ideal running back certainly leans to smaller runners who can offer a change of pace style, handle the workload if the team needs to elevate the role to that of a temporary starter, and who produce yards and touchdowns.

In many ways, Blake Corum brings to the offense what the team hoped to find in former RB Darrell Henderson Jr. If you recall, Henderson played five seasons for the Rams, stood 5-foot-8 and weighed 208 pounds, and converted 442 runs into 1,854 yards and 15 touchdowns. Henderson also caught 76 out of 106 passes for 577 yards and four touchdowns. It's those 19 touchdowns that sparkle when the Rams consider another running back on this roster.

If the team sought production out of their running back position, they have a solid chance of hitting the jackpot with Blake Corum this season. in the past two years with the Michigan Wolverines, Corum has carried the football 505 times for 2,708 yards and 45 touchdowns. While less active as a receiver, he still managed to put up 27 catches for 197 yards and two touchdowns.

What can the Rams expect of this Tiny Mighty Mo in 2024? From his first impressions in OTAs, big things it seems:

But we know that the Rams cannot hope to rely upon a rookie runner in a vacuum. No matter how athletic, gifted, and productive a college football player may be, they have not yet faced the challenges of NFL competition. So what steps have the Rams taken to help the running game this season?