Kyren Williams

Rams GM Les Snead said the selection of RB Blake Corum in this year's draft was to help keep RB Kyren Williams fresh. "It's a tough league; it's a 17-game season plus playoffs, might go to 18 games one day," Snead said. "So we always felt like we needed to have as many quality runners as possible so we don't just totally run down Kyren, and we have one or two, or even three guys that can contribute, keep everyone fresh, and let's go and try to impose our will." HC Sean McVay made a similar comment shortly after the draft, noting that the team sees a lot of similarities between Williams and Corum.

The Rams want to preserve Williams going forward

Running back Kyren Williams had a big year for the Rams in 2023, so some might have been surprised to see the team use a third-round pick on former Michigan back Blake Corum.

L.A. already has a Pro Bowler in the backfield, but here s how Michigan RB Blake Corum provides a link to the team s Super Bowl season.

The Broncos selected Notre Dame RB Audric Estime in Round 4 of the NFL Draft. A four-star prospect, Estime chose Notre Dame over others like Maryland, Rutgers, Virginia, and Nebraska. After a quiet freshman season behind Kyren Williams, the New York native split carries in 2022. The result? Team-highs in yards (920), yards per carry (5.9), and TDs (11). His production then rose across the board last fall. He flashed top-notch power with 4.27 yards after contact per attempt and tallied a strong Elusive Rating from PFF (126.5). The raw numbers turned up several career highs (209 carries, 1,341 yards, 18 TDs). While Estime caught all 26 of his college targets, we don t forecast much of a receiving ceiling in the NFL. He also lacks the top-end speed to rip off explosives at the next level. Estime s 4.71 forty-time at the NFL Combine was disappointing, but his Relative Athletic Score of 6.58 shows the strength of his complete profile. At 221 pounds, he tallied an 86th-percentile vertical and an 87th-percentile broad jump. Also note: Estime s ten-yard split placed him in the 53rd percentile. The rookie joins a crowded backfield in Denver alongside Javonte Williams, Jaleel McLaughlin, and Samaje Perine although Williams and Perine are both scheduled to be free agents next offseason.