The Rams made several offseason moves that reaffirmed their commitment to establishing a consistent rushing attack. Kyren Williams returns as the team’s RB1 but the lack of preseason playtime from Blake Corum, combined with Williams’ new responsibilities on special teams, paint a clear picture that the discrepancy of carries between the two may be virtually non-existent.
Backing up Williams and Corum are Ronnie Rivers, a 2022 UDFA from Fresno State who enters his third year with the team, and recently acquired Cody Schrader, a 2024 UDFA from Missouri who spent this preseason with the 49ers.
Williams enters his third year with the Rams following a phenomenal sophomore campaign in the NFL. The Notre Dame graduate ran for 1,144 yards and 12 touchdowns last season, finishing as the third-best rusher in the NFL. He also played in only 12 games. Williams ran for over 100 yards on six occasions, including a combined 301 yards in his two games against Arizona and a 152-yard performance against Washington.
Corum, a third-round pick out of the University of Michigan, ran his team to a National Championship last season. A shifty running back who is an excellent north-south runner, Corum rushed for 2,708 yards during his final two years in college. Corum has also been listed as the team’s kickoff returner.
Rivers suffered from a lack of opportunities and a subsequent knee sprain last season that really derailed his 2023 season. However, Rivers did enough to stave off Zach Evans and Boston Scott from taking a roster spot away from him. Do not let his 2023 numbers fool you; Rivers has legit abilities and a fearlessness about him with the ball in his hands. He did average 4 yards on 32 carries so do not be surprised to see Rivers involved more this season.
Schrader is another downhill runner, hitting home the fact that the Rams want to run the ball inside. One of the pillars of a legendary season for the Missouri Tigers last season, Schrader ran for 1,627 yards and 14 touchdowns. Schrader then led the Tigers to an upset win over Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl with 128 yards and one touchdown. Expect Schrader to be seldom used but if an injury occurs, he will be a reliable option for the team.
The Rams’ running backs are built to play a certain style of football. Zone blocking, inside runs that set up third and manageable. With these four players, expect a high amount of carries to start the season.