Blake Corum was known for being a workhorse running back at Michigan. He carried the ball 505 times for 2,708 yards and 45 touchdowns in the last two seasons alone, which is an average of 18.7 carries per game.
He did catch some passes for the Wolverines but his game was taking handoffs and scoring touchdowns. That could change with the Rams where he’s expected to be a more well-rounded back who gets opportunities to contribute as a receiver on third down. He said it himself in a recent interview and the Rams were very interested in his receiving skills pre-draft.
In a new draft documentary from Roku and NFL Films, Les Snead and Sean McVay talked about Corum’s receiving skills before selecting him with the 83rd pick.
“I can say this, at Corum’s pro day, he made some rare catches,” Snead said.
“Let’s watch it,” McVay said. “Actually, that’s all for nothing, right? I mean, he’s not going to be there at 83, is he?”
“You should watch it,” Snead insisted.
After flipping the tape from Corum’s pro day on, McVay liked what he saw.
“He’s definitely a right hand-over-left hand more comfortable. I want to see him catch that same pass to his left,” McVay said.
Snead: “Oh, the choice (route)!”
McVay: “That’s good. He looks way more functional than I thought.”
Might the Rams see Corum as a third-down back who will spell Kyren Williams in passing situations? That would allow him to get on the field early as a rookie, while also not necessarily taking carries away from the 2023 Pro Bowler.
It’ll be fun to see how McVay deploys these two backs this season.