Kyren Williams came into the season as the Rams’ No. 2 running back, but he might finish the year No. 1 in the NFL in a key rushing statistic. He doesn’t exactly have a chance to overtake Christian McCaffrey as the rushing leader, but through Week 15, no player in the league is averaging more rushing yards per game than Williams.
He took the top spot this week thanks to his 152-yard performance against the Commanders, bumping his average up to 95.3 yards per game. McCaffrey is second with an average of 92.3 yards per game, the only running back besides Williams who is averaging at least 78 rushing yards per game.
So essentially, it’s Williams and McCaffrey, and then everyone else.
Had Williams not missed four games with an ankle injury, he could very well be the league leader in rushing yards. He currently ranks fourth with 953 yards on the ground, which is only 15 yards fewer than James Cook, who’s second in the NFL. McCaffrey has a massive lead over everyone in total rushing yards, racking up 1,292 yards in his 14 starts this season – 324 more yards than any other player.
It’ll be borderline impossible for Williams to catch McCaffrey in total rushing yards, even if CMC gets Week 18 off, but the simple fact that Williams is even in the top five is remarkable. He’s a second-year player who was drafted in the fifth round, exceeding all expectations as the Rams’ workhorse this season.
Los Angeles wouldn’t be where it is today if not for Williams’ production, something Sean McVay mentioned recently. He may have began the season as the backup to Cam Akers, but he’s emerged as one of the best runners in the NFL.
The Rams hit a home run with Williams in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL draft and they were wise to commit to him as their top running back this season despite having Cam Akers on the roster to begin the year.