Rams are trapped at running back

Why LA is in a tough spot after spending premium draft pick on Blake Corum

The front office for the Los Angeles Rams have trapped themselves at the running back position.

Kyren Williams lacks explosiveness, has a major fumbling issue, was inept in pass protection versus the Philadelphia Eagles, and is holding back the offense’s overall production. LA needs to rotate in rookie Blake Corum, who the Rams drafted because of how much he resembled their starter in Williams, but there’s a chance both players are unable to bring a more dynamic skillset to the table.

After spending a premium, third-round draft choice on Corum the Rams still seem to lack an ideal, long-term answer at the position.

It’s worth recalling with how Corum’s draft profile was tied to Williams and that Williams drew comparison to James White with the New England Patriots. White was never more than a rotational, third-down back with the Pats. While Williams has grown into a workhorse in Los Angeles—if he truly brings the same traits to the table as White—then there’s a good chance that Williams is miscast as an every-down contributor.

Fans are now calling for additional investment at RB

After watching Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley, and Jahmyr Gibbs dominate the NFL this season, having a high-end running back is again becoming en vogue. Rams fans want to see the team draft Heisman candidate Ashton Jeanty from Boise State, who will likely be selected in the first round.

But the Rams have arguably already spent too much at RB. With the current state of the roster, they cannot afford to spend their first pick at this position. LA also has long-term needs in key areas of the roster like quarterback, right tackle, corner, and receiver.

Sure, you can view Corum as a sunk cost that shouldn’t deter you from making a bigger swing; however, the Rams have failed Corum by not giving him opportunities in the rotation. The rookie has just 29 carries this season versus Williams’ 207 attempts. Third-string back Ronnie Rivers has toted the ball 10 times.

How do the Rams get out of this trap?

Short-term, they must get Corum involved in the rotation. Especially with the playoffs realistically moving out of reach, the team cannot go into 2025 without knowing what the rookie is capable of.

This offseason the Rams should keep their options open and explore the veteran market. Free agency likely won’t be as favorable at RB next spring as it was last year, given that there were a surplus of options like Barkley, Henry, and others that depressed the overall cost of acquisition. Some options for 2025 would include James Conner (age 30), Aaron Jones (wrong side of 30), Najee Harris, Jaylen Warren, Chase Brown, AJ Dillon, Nick Chubb, Javonte Williams, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, JK Dobbins, Rico Dowdle, and D’Onta Foreman.

It’s a somewhat common refrain that running backs are available deep into the draft; however, when you scour depth charts across the NFL you will find it’s rare to see starters that were drafted in the fifth round or later:

• Kyren Williams, Rams (5)
• James Connor, Cardinals (UDFA)
• Tyrone Tracy, Giants (5)
• Chase Brown, Bengals (5)
• Rico Dowdle, Cowboys (UDFA)

To complicate matters even further, the Rams won’t have their 2025 second round pick from the trade package to move up for Braden Fiske.

There are currently no first-string backs that were drafted in rounds six or seven, though Connor and Dowdle are former undrafted free agents. Nearly every team from the above list probably wish they could improve at running back. The Cincinnati Bengals and New York Giants have offseason regrets from going cheap and letting Joe Mixon and Barkley hit the open market. The running game for the Dallas Cowboys has been putrid, though Dowdle is head and shoulders a better player at this point than Ezekiel Elliot. The Arizona Cardinals know Connor is getting long in the tooth and took Trey Benson in the third round this past spring.

The Rams have trapped themselves at running back, and getting out won’t be so easy.