The Los Angeles Rams drafted Blake Corum in the third round last year because of how similar he is to Kyren Williams. They wanted a running back they could seamlessly plug into the lineup without having to change the offense if Williams were to ever get hurt.
Fortunately, Williams has stayed healthy but that hasn’t stopped Corum from making a significant impact on offense lately. And as alike as the two running backs are, Corum brings an added element that Williams lacks: breakaway speed.
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Williams does look faster this season after working on his speed and explosiveness in the offseason, but Corum still has an edge over him in that department. Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals was a prime example of that.
Corum rushed for 128 yards on 12 carries, scoring two touchdowns after having only two in his previous 12 games combined. More impressively, he was breaking off long runs left and right. Against the Cardinals, he had runs of 14 yards, 17 yards, 18 yards and a knockout blow of 48 yards. On those four carries alone, he had 97 yards.
To put those big plays into perspective, Williams only had six runs of 17-plus yards on 316 carries last season. Corum had four on just 12 carries Sunday.
On his 48-yard touchdown run, he really showed off the wheels. He hit 21.29 mph, which made him the second-fastest ball carrier in the NFL this week. Wyatt Miller noted he’s the second-fastest ball carrier on the Rams all year, too.
Williams has always been a grinder and a hard runner, but he’s never had breakaway speed. He hasn’t had a run longer than 34 yards since 2023, and Corum has two in the last two games.
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This isn’t to say Corum should be the starter or workhorse over Williams, but it does show how valuable the second-year back out of Michigan can be to the Rams offense with his electric skill set.
For the last two years, the Rams have run the ball knowing they most likely won’t score a long touchdown on the ground. And even though he’s no Jahmyr Gibbs, having even a minor home run threat in the backfield can change the look of Los Angeles’ offense.
That’s the benefit of giving Corum opportunities behind Williams.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Rams RB Blake Corum’s big-play ability adds new dimension to offense
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