Corum, the 83rd overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, has drawn consistent praise from LA coaches over the past couple months as incumbent starter Kyren Williams deals with a lingering foot injury that has cost him all of OTAs and minicamp. “On the offensive side, I’ve been pleased with a lot of guys but Blake Corum has really stood out,” McVay said. “Mature beyond his years. I love the way that he handles himself. I love even more how when there’s been a couple of things that didn’t go the way we wanted, how he responded the next play. The mental toughness that you see from him.” It would be something of an upset if Corum didn’t at least split backfield work with Williams to start the regular season — assuming Williams is fully recovered. Williams remains one of the riskiest picks in all of fantasy football.

The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue reports the Rams are asking Corum to develop his route running, pass-catching and pass-protection skills with starter Kyren Williams sidelined (foot) in OTAs. Corum was already expected to contribute as a rotational rusher and potential goal-line vulture after scoring a positional Power Five-high 23 green zone rushing touchdowns via a second-ranked 61.0% conversion rate (min. 15 attempts). Establishing a passing-game role significantly increases Corum’s fantasy-scoring potential, should Williams miss time.

It would appear Kyren Williams is not going to lead the NFL in rushing yards per game this season. Corum is the third RB off the board in this weak class. Arguably the draft class’ most famous runner, Corum (5’8/205) is far from 2024’s best back. You could argue it was Michigan’s “cloud of dust” system, but Corum was a genuine plodder in Ann Arbor. Of the 40 1,000-yard rushers in FBS football last season, Corum’s 4.7 yards per carry was the lowest. He also had the lowest broken tackle rate amongst the 35 highest usage backs. His 2.47 average yards after contact ranked 137-of-152 amongst backs with at least 100 carries. Corum just isn’t an explosive player. He is ridiculously strong, staying low to the ground as a runner and as artillery waiting to go off as a pass blocker. You simply cannot get lower than Corum on the blitz. As powerful and savvy as it gets in short-yardage situations, Corum can also move the chains and finish drives as a role player. He just doesn’t profile as a feature back for the modern era, especially since he’s below-average as a pass catcher. It’s a worrisome situation for Williams, as Corum’s initial calling card figures to be short-yardage work.