If the Los Angeles Rams don’t add another running back this offseason, they’ll be just fine. They have Kyren Williams, Blake Corum and Ronnie Rivers all back for 2025, the same trio that led the group last season.
Williams is in talks with the team about an extension and Corum is only entering his second year after being a third-round pick. Running back is hardly a pressing need for the Rams heading into the draft but there’s still room for another playmaker in the backfield.
When it gets to Day 3 of the draft, the Rams should set their sights on Texas running back Jaydon Blue. He has just what the Rams need in a running back: Breakaway speed, receiving skills and all-around versatility.
At his pro day, Blue’s times in the 40-yard dash ranged from 4.25 to 4.28. Either way, that’s incredibly fast, especially compared to Corum’s 4.53 and Williams’ 4.65 when they were coming out of college.
He’s one of the fastest players in the 2025 class, which allows him to run away from defenders once he breaks into the second level. It’s how he ripped off a 77-yard touchdown run against Clemson.
He burst through the line of scrimmage, shed one tackler and turned on the jets, going untouched for the remaining 60 yards down the field.
JAYDON BLUE 77 YARD HOUSE CALL🤘
— PFF College (@PFF_College) December 22, 2024
pic.twitter.com/KGVK2cJoVZ
He’s not just a speed back, either. According to Pro Football Focus, he ranked 44th in the nation with an average of 3.83 yards after contact per carry. He was 65th in missed tackles forced (37), as well, despite only carrying it 135 times all season.
Warren Sharp shared some other telling statistics from Blue’s time at Texas, showing where he ranks in the 2025 draft class. You’ll notice he’s first, second or fourth in all of the key categories.
Jaydon Blue:
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) March 27, 2025
4.28 40 at pro day
#1 in class
73% of rush yards were after contact
#1 in class
4.0 yds after contact/rush
#4 in class
3.4 YPC when hit at/behind LOS
#1 in class
25% target rate
#2 in class
lined up in slot on 16% of routes
#1 in class pic.twitter.com/lAu5H4XinK
Williams and Corum are perfectly fine running backs, but they’re also jarringly similar player. That’s by design, too. The Rams wanted a running back who could seamlessly step in for Williams if he got hurt and run with the same type of physicality on the inside.
What’s missing from the Rams’ backfield is a big-play threat.
Field Yates of ESPN put into perspective just how pedestrian Los Angeles was when it came to long runs on the ground. The Rams were tied for last in the NFL last season with only two carries of 20-plus yards.
Out of Williams’ 316 rushes in 2024, only two of them went for more than 18 yards: a 30-yard run against the Packers and a 27-yarder against the Eagles. He simply didn’t create many big plays, even though he (and Corum) did have a few long runs called back due to penalties.
Fewest rushes of 20+ yards from running backs in 2024:
— Field Yates (@FieldYates)
Broncos: 4
Saints: 3
Raiders: 3
Chiefs: 2
Rams: 2Save Story Topics in this Story
