Tag: jake funk

Jake Funk’s rare instincts and athleticism caught the eye of Rams scouts

Jake Funk is an elite athlete, which caught the attention of the Rams’ scouts and analytics team.

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.

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.

[vertical-gallery id=648484]

Peter Schrager: Jake Funk was a top pick on Day 3, could be Rams’ 3rd-down RB

Peter Schrager is high on Jake Funk, who the Rams drafted in the seventh round. He says Funk could be the team’s 3rd-down back.

When the Los Angeles Rams went on the clock at No. 233 overall in the seventh round of the draft, fans everywhere thought that was going to be the pick used to address the offensive line. So when they announced Maryland running back Jake Funk as their selection, there was a lot of head-shaking and surprised Rams fans.

But Funk is going to be a player they grow to love this year. He went much later in the draft than he could have due to two torn ACL injuries suffered in college, but those didn’t impact his pro day testing – which was off the charts, if you haven’t already heard.

NFL Network’s Peter Schrager has close ties to the Rams and is friends with coach Sean McVay. He was on “Good Morning Football” this week breaking down his five favorite picks from Day 3 and Funk was No. 5.

He sounds confident McVay will find a way to use Funk, whether it’s on offense or as a return specialist. And he wouldn’t even rule out Funk being the team’s third-down back behind Cam Akers.

“I assure you this: The Rams are not taking offensive players in the seventh round if they don’t plan on using him in some way,” Schrager said. “You could be looking at your third-down back in that Rams offense. With Cam Akers playing running back, you always have to have that yin and the yang. That could be Jake Funk. Furthermore, special teams. This guy made his pitch on ‘Good Morning Football’ and said ‘I can do it on coverage teams, I can return kicks, I can return punts.’ Guess what? He’ll do just that for the Los Angeles Rams. I don’t know what number he’s going to wear – maybe 34 – I think we’re going to be wearing that jersey.”

That’s some seriously high praise from an analyst who’s in frequent contact with McVay. Funk will still have to earn a spot on the 53-man roster, likely as a special teams contributor, but his athleticism could also allow him to impact the game on offense.

He’s a determined player, too, and has shown impressive resiliency to come back from two serious knee injuries and still get drafted. Funk is a name to watch this summer.

Whether on offense or special teams, Jake Funk just wants to make plays for the Rams

Jake Funk is willing to do whatever the Rams ask to help the team, whether it’s on offense or special teams.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqby8n025panb709 player_id=none image=https://theramswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

It’s rare for a seventh-round pick to make a big impact on offense or defense as a rookie. But for running back Jake Funk, he isn’t just focused on helping the offense. He prides himself on making game-changing plays on special teams.

The Rams’ seventh-round pick is determined to help his new team however he can, whether it’s in the return game, on the coverage team or any other phase of special teams. After being drafted by Los Angeles, Funk explained what his mindset is when it comes to playing special teams.

In the end, it comes down to making plays to help the team.

“You just have to be excited to make a play. Like, football is about making game-changing plays no matter when you’re on the field,” he said. “If you can run down on a kickoff, pin somebody inside the 20, create a big hit that gets the defense fired up and ready to go, it helps the team win. It’s all about the team. So for me, that’s just been my core, where it’s like I’m going to do whatever it takes to help our team win. And if that’s being a cover guy on special teams and going down there and getting a tackle or a big hit inside the 20, I’m going to do it. If that’s a contributing role on offense, I’m going to do that. Whether that’s first, second-down back, third-down back, doesn’t matter. Whatever opportunities you get on the field, you have to be able to take advantage and be that ballplayer that goes out and just makes a play when the team needs it.”

Funk showed remarkable resilience at Maryland. He tore his ACL twice and played just 10 total games in his last three seasons, carrying the ball only 77 times since 2018. He was highly productive in those limited opportunities, averaging 7.2 yards per carry in his college career, but injuries held him back with the Terrapins.

The two knee injuries certainly caused his draft stock to drop because athleticism isn’t a question whatsoever with Funk. He ran a 4.49 in the 40-yard dash with an elite-level 10-yard split of 1.5 seconds. He also jumped 38 inches in the vertical and posted a 6.71-second time in the three-cone drill, all of which were near the top of this running back class.

Bouncing back from two season-ending injuries like Funk did is difficult, but he blocked out his doubters and remained focused on his goal of playing in the NFL.

“Just to not give up. I mean, a lot of people counted me out, especially through the injuries,” he said of how he responded to the injuries. “I would just go back and tell myself that it was all worth it in the end. All the tears, all the worry, all the doubt, it was all worth it in the end. I mean, you just continue to persevere through hardship and it’s something that I’ve learned just about life in general, through the ACLs. But would just tell myself to just never give up.”

With Funk’s determination and willingness to do whatever necessary to make the team, he should become a fan favorite this summer as he battles for a roster spot.

Twitter reacts to Rams drafting RB Jake Funk in Round 7

Rams fans were stunned by Les Snead drafting a running back before an offensive lineman.

If you had “Rams select a running back before an offensive lineman” on your bingo board, congratulations. It’s a decision few people could have seen coming, as evidenced by the reactions to the Rams selecting Jake Funk in the seventh round at No. 233 overall.

Funk is an athletic and explosive running back who suffered two ACL tears in college, but he certainly doesn’t fill a position of need. This, like Tutu Atwell, is mostly a luxury pick and one that Sean McVay will have fun with.

Here’s a look at some of the reactions from fans and analysts to the selection of Funk in Round 7, which came before the Rams addressed their offensive line.

 

Rams select RB Jake Funk with 233rd overall pick

The Rams took a running back before a center, drafting Jake Funk in the seventh round.

Drafting a running back has become a tradition for the Los Angeles Rams with Les Snead and Sean McVay running the show. That trend continued on Saturday with the Rams selecting Jake Funk out of Maryland at No. 233 overall.

Funk is a 5-foot-10 running back, so he’s on the smaller side. But in the last two seasons at Maryland, he rushed for 689 yards on only 77 carries, scoring five touchdowns, as well. He averaged 7.2 yards per carry in college, though his opportunities were limited (135 total carries).

He tested well at his pro day, running a 4.38 40-yard dash and jumping 38 inches in the vertical.

The biggest red flag with Funk is his durability. He tore his ACL twice in the same knee, which caused him to miss significant time with the Terrapins. He played just 10 total games in his final three years after playing 23 in his first two seasons.

He’ll primarily contribute on special teams as a rookie if he makes the team, but in a best-case scenario, he’ll be RB4 behind Cam Akers, Darrell Henderson and Xavier Jones.