An underrated need for the Los Angeles Rams during the NFL Draft will be finding a running back that they can pair with Kyren Williams. While the team drafted Blake Corum last year and will hope to get more of him in year two, the Rams offense lacks explosiveness in the run game. Finding a running back that can hit the home run on any given play and adding variety to the running back room should be seen as a priority.
This is one of the deeper running back classes in recent memory. With that said, the Rams will have several players to choose from when it comes to finding that type of running back. The depth of the running back class will allow the Rams to address other needs earlier in the draft and then take a running back on day three.
Heading into the draft process, one of my goals was to try to match my evaluation process relatively close with how the Rams operate. Obviously, it will never be exact without actually being in the room. At the same time, based on the information that is public and matching player traits with what they’ve drafted in the past, it is possible to get a picture of the type of player the Rams draft and what that process looks like.
One of the big changes that I’ve made this year is placing players into “buckets”. The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue called “Finding Rams” which outlined this bucketing process. Said Rodrigue,
“On his screen, which the scouts cannot see, Snead manipulates what he calls “the call sheet” as they discuss prospects. The sheet looks like a series of rectangles that split players by position into different buckets. There are no round-by-round grades, only four overall tiers into which players are then “bucketed.” By mid-April, all draft-eligible players are split into nine buckets based on the Rams’ finished evaluations, which include the medical and character checks completed in March and, for some, notes from Sugarman’s visits. The buckets aren’t always “rankings” — some are lateral to others.”
Those buckets are broken up into nine different categories which are:
- Bucket 1: Math Changer, Total Package
- Bucket 2: Reliable Starter
- Bucket 3: Math Changing Starter, Range of Caution Flags
- Bucket 4: Impactful Contributor, Clean Profile
- Bucket 5: Talented Enough to Contribute, Less Predictable
- Bucket 6: Trustworthy, but Less Talented
- Bucket 7: Late IQ or PQ
- Bucket 8: Major Concerns, Off Board, or Reconsider After Draft
- Bucket 9: Likely Drafted, Not a Rams Fit
These buckets aren’t rankings or necessarily even tiers. It’s simply a way for scouts to easily visualize the role that they see for a player at the next level and a way to define their fit on the roster. Players can be placed into multiple buckets as no single prospect is just one thing. As Rodrigue noted, in Puka Nacua’s case, he would have been a three, five, and seven.
Eventually, I’ll have fit grades and a full Rams big board
I’ll be doing this with every position group outside of quarterback. Today, we’re looking at running backs.
Previous Position Groups
Bucket 1: Math Changer, Total Package
- Quinshon Judkins, Ohio State
- Ashton Jeanty, Boise State
- Bhayshul Tuten, Virginia Tech
Quinshon Judkins is a near dream schematic fit for the Rams. He’s a physical, efficient, and versatile runner with proven success in both zone and gap systems. Judkins is decisive, has good contact balance, and good short-area burst that would thrive in Sean McVay’s offense. While not necessarily a speed, he does force missed tackles with power and is elusive in the open field. He also has enough juice at the second level to beat defenders. Judkins ranked inside the top-50 in missed tackles forced and runs of 10+ yards last season at Ohio State.
Bucket 2: Reliable Starter
- Treveyeon Henderson, Ohio State
- Damien Martinez, Miami
- Woody Marks, USC
- Dylan Sampson, Tennessee
- Kalen Johnson, Iowa
- Devin Neal, Kansas
- Omarion Hampton, UNC
- Kyle Monangai, Rutgers
- Jordan James, Oregon
- Jarquez Hunter, Auburn
Like Judkins, Henderson is a near-idea Rams fit. He has a good blend of vision, burst, and reliability. He also has a lot to offer in pass protection as he is one of the best in the class which McVay will value. Henderson ranked just outside the top-25 in runs of 10 or more yards. He brings the explosiveness and open-field burst that the Rams currently lack in their running backs.
The idea with the Rams running back room is to bring balance. Dylan Sampson from Tennessee is another player that would do just that. He’s simply a different style of running back than Williams and his game translates well to what the Rams are doing offensively. His burst, contact balance, and processing make him a natural stylistic fit, especially as a change of pace player.
Bucket 3: Math Changing Starter, Range of Caution Flags
- Treyveon Henderson, Ohio State
- Bhayshul Tuten, Virginia Tech
- Dylan Sampson, Tennessee
- Raheim Sanders, South Carolina
- Cam Skattebo, Arizona State
Bhayshul Tuten is exactly the kind of explosive running back that the Rams need in their offense. He’s someone that can be the lightning to Kyren Williams’ thunder. Tuten’s burst and power behind duo run concepts will work perfect within the Rams offense. This isn’t a ‘wait and see’ type player, but when Tuten has a clear read and vertical path, he can hit the hole with authority. Simply put, he’s what the Rams hoped Darrell Henderson could be, but with more speed and special teams value. Tuten won’t be a featured player in year one, but as someone that can handle five carries a game as a change of pace, he’s a perfect fit. The Virginia running back does have a history of fumbles, but if he can get that under control, he’ll be a difference-maker.
The Rams need more of a change of pace type of player. While Cam Skattebo is a good player, he may not be a great fit for what the Rams currently need. Skattebo is a bruiser at running back that runs north and south with excellent contact balance. He thrives when he’s able to hit a hole with conviction and punish defenders. Skattebo is limited in the passing game and he had ten fumbles in three seasons.
Bucket 4: Impactful Contributor, Clean Profile
- Quinshon Judkins, Ohio State
- Damien Martinez, Miami
- Woody Marks, USC
- Omarion Hampton, UNC
- Kyle Monangai, Rutgers
- Jordan James, Oregon
- Jarquez Hunter, Auburn
- Trevor Etienne, Georgia
- LeQuint Allen, Syracuse
- Donovan Edwards, Michigan
- Tahj Brooks, Texas Tech
- RJ Harvey, UCF
- Ollie Gordon II, Oklahoma State
Woody Marks doesn’t necessarily offer the home-run ability, but he may be one of the better receiving backs in this draft class. He had over 250 receptions in collegiate career and has the ability to run a variety of routes. That isn’t something that the Rams have had in their offense since Todd Gurley. As a runner, he’s decisive and displays good patience. While he does offer a lot as a pass catcher, he needs to improve in pass protection. Again, he may not have the long speed, but this is a running back that provides a different skillset.
An underrated fit for the Rams is LeQuint Allen out of Syracuse. Allen is another player that McVay will value for his pass protection ability. He lacks the top-end speed that the Rams need, but his value in the passing game as both a receiver and in pass pro make him valuable.
Bucket 5: Talented Enough to Contribute, Less Predictable
- Devin Neal, Kansas
- Raheim Sanders, South Carolina
- Montrell Johnson, Florida
- Cam Skattebo, Arizona State
- Trevor Etienne, Georgia
- Kalal Mullings, Michigan
- LeQuint Allen, Syracuse
- Corey Kiner, Cincinnati
- RJ Harvey, UCF
- Jaydon Blue, Texas
- DJ Giddens, Kansas State
Neal is another strong fit for the Rams offense given his downhill power, contact balance, and toughness between the tackles. He’s also good in pass protection which should allow him to contribute early at the next level. Neal does lack the big play ability and has over 750 carries on his college resume. Still, he can be a complementary piece at the next level.
Harvey is an intriguing player, but he’ll have a long way to go at the NFL level. He lacks in pass protection and has inconsistent ball security. Harvey doesn’t seem to trust what he sees and has a tendency to bounce plays outside. The UCF running back is shifty, but lacks the home run speed that the Rams need. Harvey could develop, but his ceiling is less predictable.
Bucket 6: Trustworthy, But Less Talented
- Tahj Brooks, Texas Tech
- Ollie Gordon II, Oklahoma State
- Phil Mafah, Clemson
Ollie Gordon II has a lot to like when it comes to his pass protection ability and his overall size. However, he struggles with lateral movement and processing at the line. He also runs high which limits his contact balance. Gordon lacks the breakaway speed and dynamic play-making ability to complement the current backfield.
Bucket 7: Late IQ or PQ
- Bhayshul Tuten, Virginia Tech
- Raheim Sanders, South Carolina
- Corey Kiner, Cincinnati
- Jaydon Blue, Texas
- DJ Giddens, Kansas State
- Marcus Yarns, Delaware
- Brashard Smith, SMU
The biggest question when it comes to Raheim Sanders is his health. When he’s healthy, Sanders has garnered the nickname “rocket” for a reason. His open-field burst at 217 pounds is rare. Sanders a strong stylistic match as he thrives when given a clear runway to build speed. The Rams run a lot of duo and Sanders would fit perfectly in that. He’s a violent runner with the ability to create, but can sometimes struggle reading his blocks.
When it comes to Giddens, he can be a good player in the right offense. Unfortunately, the Rams may just not be that offense. He’s a developmental player that lacks decisiveness and comfort in pass protection. Those are all things that the Rams value. Additionally, he lacks the second gear in the open field.
Bucket 8: Major Concerns, Off Board, or Reconsider After Draft
- Marcus Yarns, Delaware
- Brashard Smith, SMU
- JaQuinden Jackson, Arkansas
- Ulysses Bentley IV, Mississippi
As it stands, Brashard Smith is extremely raw at the running back position. He’s a former wide receiver that converted to running back and feels more like a gadget-type player than a complementary piece in a backfield. While he brings explosiveness and ability as a pass-catcher, he lacks in pass-protection and has some ball security issues.
Bucket 9: Likely Drafted, Not a Rams Fit
- Ashton Jeanty, Boise State
- Corey Kiner, Cincinnati
- DJ Giddens, Kansas State
- Marcus Yarns, Delaware
- Brashard Smith SMU
- Phil Mafah, Clemson
- JaQuinden Jackson, Arkansas
- Ulysses Bentley IV, Mississippi
Yarns has real explosiveness, but like Smith is very raw. He needs to play in a specific role to have early success. He provides value as a receiving and any early role would likely come on screens, jet sweeps, and creating mismatches on linebackers in the passing games. With that said, he lacks contact balance and his upside as a runner inside is limited.
