The Rams have emphasized all offseason the importance of getting the running game going again in 2020. After a disappointing season from Todd Gurley and the entire backfield, the Rams want to ensure Jared Goff gets some help from the ground game this year.
The team drafted Cam Akers to join the committee replacing Gurley, alongside Darrell Henderson Jr. and Malcolm Brown. Akers is easy to get excited about, being the Rams’ top draft pick this year, but Henderson is a playmaker in his own right.
He missed some time with injury last season and is aiming for a better 2020 campaign, and based on the way Sean McVay is talking, it sounds like an improvement is on the horizon.
“He’s done a nice job. Darrell’s a guy that I think last year, had some unfortunate injuries that led to not maybe getting as much work as we thought he was going to get. But, he did flash some things that got us so excited about taking him out of Memphis,” McVay said this week. “I think he’s taking a real big step in the right direction. He’s showing big picture understanding of everything in all phases – pass game, run game, protection. I continue to go back to just (running backs coach) Thomas Brown’s influence on that room as a whole. It’s definitely showing. When you guys get a chance to meet him, you’ll realize why I think he’s such a special coach.”
Henderson was one of the most productive and efficient running backs in college. He averaged a whopping 8.2 yards per carry in his career, including 8.9 yards per carry in each of his last two seasons at Memphis.
Everything about his game screams “big-play weapon,” from his combination of speed and power to his vision in the backfield. There were some rookie growing pains last year, like his fumbled pitch against the 49ers to start the second half, but he did show potential.
He broke seven tackles on only 39 rush attempts for an average of 5.6 attempts per broken tackle, which was the best rate of any player with at least 35 carries. He’s obviously elusive out of the backfield, and if he can improve as a receiver and blocker, his playing time will grow exponentially.
These comments from McVay are a good sign of Henderson’s potential breakout, even if it’s only as a change-of-pace complement to Akers.