The initial reaction to the Los Angeles Rams selecting running back Jake Funk in the seventh round wasn’t overly positive. Fans questioned why a team with Cam Akers and Darrell Henderson would draft another running back before adding offensive line help, and understandably so.
But Funk would’ve been drafted earlier if not for injuries that limited him to only five games played in 2018 and 2019 combined. He’s a special athlete with great explosiveness, vision and speed, and someone who loves playing special teams.
On the latest episode of the Rams’ “Inside the Draft” series, scouts and talent evaluators in L.A. shared their thoughts on Funk, highlighting his instincts and athleticism as reasons to be excited about him.
“When we got our hands on some data from a GPS standpoint, another guy that stood out right away with just the unexpected, ‘Hey, this guy’s got 10-plus plays at 20-plus miles an hour,” Jake Temme, manager of data and analytics said.
“He’s a work horse. This kid lives football.”
Inside the Draft: selecting @jakefunk34 | @RocketMortgage pic.twitter.com/7EpVIiKB1Y
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) May 23, 2021
Taylor Morton, the Rams’ senior personnel advisor, gave Funk an instincts grade that was as high as any other running back in the entire 2021 draft class, and “maybe of the past couple of years.
Funk averaged 7.2 yards per carry and scored 10 touchdowns on only 135 attempts in college. He also returned 13 kickoffs for 237 yards and played every phase of special teams.
As a seventh-round pick, Funk still has to earn a roster spot, but he’ll have a chance to contribute on offense and special teams with his skill set. He has 4.43 speed, benched 225 pounds 22 times and has a 38-inch vertical. Athleticism isn’t a question with Funk. It’s whether he can stay on the field, which the Rams certainly hope he can do.
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