THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- While the Los Angeles Rams undoubtedly solidified their lead running back in Kyren Williams last season, they went into the draft hoping they could find a strong backup.
They found that player in the third round, drafting Michigan running back Blake Corum.
He will get his opportunities early this spring as Williams will not participate in the Rams' offseason program because of what head coach Sean McVay called "a little foot issue." McVay did not say exactly what Williams' injury is, but that it is "nothing to worry about." McVay said Williams is "champing at the bit to get back out there" and will be ready for training camp.
The Rams drafted Corum to help take the load off Williams, who averaged almost 22 touches a game in 2023. Williams finished third in rushing last season despite playing in just 12 games. He finished the season with 228 carries for 1,144 yards and 12 touchdowns, as well as 32 catches for 206 yards and three touchdowns.
When Williams missed four games on injured reserve with an ankle injury in the middle of the season, the Rams struggled to replace his production. Backup Ronnie Rivers got hurt in the same Week 6 game, and Los Angeles signed three free agent running backs -- Royce Freeman, Myles Gaskin and Darrell Henderson Jr. -- to replace the pair.
McVay noted several times last season that the team's playoff push really began once Williams returned from injured reserve. He rushed for 688 yards and six touchdowns in his final six games of the regular season.
Williams has dealt with his share of injuries over his career. Along with the ankle injury last year, the running back broke his foot during OTAs his rookie season. He also injured his ankle on the opening kickoff of the 2022 season, leading to a stint on injured reserve. He played in 10 games that season, rushing for 139 yards on 35 carries.
Running backs Boston Scott (signed to a one-year deal in May), Rivers and 2023 sixth-round pick Zach Evans make up the rest of the current depth chart.
In four seasons at Michigan, Corum ran for 3,737 yards and 58 touchdowns on 675 carries. During his senior season, he had a lot of success in the red zone, scoring 27 touchdowns as part of Michigan's national championship season. When Corum was asked what about his skill set helped him find the end zone so often, he said it is his "sudden quickness and [being] able to find those small holes and just ride the offensive line all the way into the end zone."
"When you get inside the 5, you have to have a nose for the end zone," Corum said. "And I think I did that throughout my career in Michigan, but especially my senior year."
After he was drafted, Corum said he knows Williams is going to help him get better and said he's going to push Williams "to be the best version of himself." The pair spent some time together in Miami while Corum was training for the scouting combine.
And as the Rams evaluated running backs for the 2024 draft class, McVay said Corum reminded him a lot of the running back Corum will be learning from.
"One of the things that jumped off is there's a lot of traits that reminded me of Kyren Williams," McVay said. "Obviously I love Kyren and he's been so important and just the human being, but then also when you just look at the way he works at it, the production and the things that he was able to bring to our offense last year and even really some of the things that he worked through his rookie year -- I think there's a lot of similarities.
"Kyren will put Blake under his arm and be a great mentor."