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.
Gettin' Funky!
Welcome to LA, RB @jakefunk34! pic.twitter.com/MH7Wuc3Ciw
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) May 1, 2021