BLAKE CORUM NFL DRAFT FALL, EXPLAINED: WHY MICHIGAN RB SLID TO RAMS AT NO. 83 PICK
The 2024 NFL Draft began with an unprecedented run on offense, but running backs weren't included in that scramble.
It wasn't until the No. 46 pick that the position finally got its moment, when Texas' Jonathon Brooks was selected by the Panthers. Twenty picks later, it was Florida State RB Trey Benson's turn as the Cardinals made him the second player at the position to come off the board.
Brooks and Benson were both terrific players on national contenders at the college level, but no running back in this draft had the accolades of Michigan's Blake Corum, who consistently found the end zone in Ann Arbor and helped lead the Wolverines to a national championship.
Despite his success at Michigan, Corum didn't hear his name called as early as many expected Friday night. He fell all the way to the No. 83 pick, where the Rams ended his slide and added him to a backfield led by Kyren Williams.
Here's a closer look at Corum's fall and what might have led him to slide down draft boards.
SN's NFL DRAFT HQ
Why did Blake Corum fall in the NFL Draft?
Corum entered the NFL Draft behind Brooks and Benson on many big boards, though he was expected to be in contention for a late second-round pick. He wasn't taken until the middle of the third round.
The biggest factor in Corum's Day 2 draft stock was his size, as he stands at just 5-8. While running backs aren't a tall position group by any means, Corum relied squarely on power and strength at the college level. That gets tougher at the NFL player, where defenders are bigger, stronger and faster.
Corum's massive workload at Michigan could also be a factor in his draft slide. Running backs have short shelf lives, and it's tough to ignore back-to-back seasons with more than 245 rushing attempts for Corum.
Derrick Henry is one player who bucked the trend for college workhorses, as he took on a huge workload with the Titans and stayed healthier than most top-tier running backs, but Corum doesn't nearly have the unique size that Henry has. In fact, in terms of height, he's on the complete other end of that spectrum.
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The running back position has also been devalued quite a bit in recent years. Free-agent running backs did do well this offseason by cashing in with a series of solid deals, but those moves filled many of the running back vacancies around the league. In fact, both teams that took a running back in the top-70 on Friday night already have experienced running backs in tow.
There aren't too many teams with a glaring hole at the position at this stage of the offseason, though the Cowboys did pass on Corum twice on Day 2 despite their running back uncertainty.
The Rams are one of those teams without uncertainty in their running back room, as Kyren Williams is coming off a breakout season and has two years remaining on his contract. Corum is a power back, so he should still be able slide into a change-of-pace role alongside Williams as the Rams' offense looks to build on a resurgent 2023.
2024-04-27T02:36:00Z dg43tfdfdgfd