While the the Los Angeles Rams offense under Sean McVay is best known for its passing prowess, when the run game exceeds 2000 yards in a season, they have a win percentage of 67 percent over those years.
Last year, L.A. ran for 2152 yards and 17 touchdowns. Kyren Williams and Blake Corum, the legs under those numbers, both return for 2026. So does Jarquez Hunter, a Round 4 pick last year. Hard to believe the Rams will be looking too hard at running backs in this years proceedings. Or it it?
In the past 10 drafts , an average of 22 running backs have been taken per year. The Rams have selected a running back in nine straight years, only passing back in 2016. Just in case they continue, here’s a look at running backs with draftable grades off my Top 300 Big Board.
Prototype running back build, explosiveness, and speed. Not a true power guy, but has enough thump and contact balance to run through defenders. Stellar acceleration and long speed. Patient and reads blocks. High-end agility, stop/start and change of direction. Very good receiver. Blocking is just okay.
Fluid and balanced, has natural running back instincts. Vision and feel for developing holes, burst to get through them. Good contact balance and leg drive to break tackles. Has the skillset in any scheme, but has the look of a one-cut zone runner, getting a runway for his burst and long speed. Good blocker and inexperienced as a receiver. Had a Achilles rupture in 2022.
Only one year of starting production in three college stops. Muscular frame with stellar athleticism. Decisive, one-cut runner with the burst, strong lower half and foot churn to plow through tackles, the second gear acceleration and long speed to break off big chunk gains. Solid stop/start and change of direction traits. Needs to work on ball security, receiving and blocking.
Bowling ball build. Very similar running style to the Rams Kyren Williams showing vision, contact balance, and low center of gravity. While he can bulldoze, he also makes sharp cuts and tackles slide off just as often as he breaks them. Good receiver on short routes and solid blocker. Not flashy, just an efficient producer. One recorded fumble over his entire college career.
Johnson cannot be tagged as a speed or power back. He’s an effort-based prospect running in a hard-nosed style. Plays faster on film than he tested at the NFL Combine. Wins with good vision, contact balance, and oily hips. Cuts and jumps laterally without losing a beat. Puts tacklers at an angle disadvantage and bounces off or powers through. Strong receiving skills as well.
Power-based runner with the instincts to find room. NFL size with thick legs and strong bottom half. Runs low behind his pads with balance. Good patience and vision. Burst and speed are adequate, he’s more of a slasher in open field. His hands appear to be good, but he wasn’t a third down receiving back. Willing blocker, but needs polish. Solid ball security.
Small frame, slashing, jitterbug run style and very elusive in the open field. Subtle fakes and feints make it hard for defenders to get a good tackling bead on him. Strong stop/start and change of direction movement. Not much of a blocker, but physical for his size. Did not run sophisticated pass routes. Every touch is a possible big play, he’s that fast and elusive.
Nice package of size and speed. Not a true power runner, but has the lower strength to break tackles. Good receiver and willing blocker. Has big play upside, when he gets some runway, he can be off to the races. Probably projects best into an outside zone run scheme. Tight in the hips and ankles, not as explosive when forced to move laterally. A kickoff returner his first three seasons
Polarizing prospect. High ceiling/low floor player. Top-end traits as a runner, vision, burst, physical play style, and long speed, but he couldn’t turn them into explosive plays at the SEC level. Lags as a receiving, blocker, and in ball security. The tools are there, can a team focus them.
Remember BYU/Falcons RB Tyler Allgeier converting from LB & being a Day 3 steal?I got one. Ohio State transfer/Toledo RB Chip Trayanum (5-11, 227)Arizona St➡️ Ohio State➡️ Kentucky➡️ 🚀428 rushes, 2273 yds (5.3 YPC), 25 TD1,200+ total yds in ‘25 pic.twitter.com/5muRJk6Wdw
Kind of a lost season in 2026, transferred to Oklahoma and was nicked up early and never re-climbed the depth chart. Appears best in a mid/outside zone run game. Good vision to follow blocks and explosive burst and speed through holes. At one time was a three-down, high level prospect, can he re-gain his focus?
Powerful, compact build with thick thighs. Good athlete, 9.62 RAS score. Downhill runner with juice. Presses the line and shows patience waiting for blocks, good burst under control, and has second gear. Former linebacker, very physical game. His traits and innate feel for finding space are coveted. Played special teams early in career.
Versatile to any scheme. Aggressive between the tackles. North/south one cut runner with good burst burst, contact balance and foot churn. Adequate long speed. Needs work as a blocker and receiver. Been productive when on the field, but missed time in three straight seasons with a hamstring, knee surgery, and an ankle issue.
Compact build with vision, quick cuts, and short area agility hints that he’s best for an inside/mid zone run scheme. Good short yardage runner, uses his natural low leverage and contact balance A three-down prospect. Although not a complex route tree, Taylor showed strong receiving production and is a willing blocker. Good ball security.
Muscular frame. Not a dancer, but does use jump cuts when looking for holes. Seems to always fall forward, showing natural low center of gravity and contact balance running low and behind his pads. Good ball security and head banger when called on to block. His hands are okay, but hasn’t been a receiving threat.
Been following this prospect since his early days at Maryland. Solid, all-around back. Power-based with good contact balance and foot churn. Instincts to find space. Good vision and patience with the requisite acceleration to slip through holes or break outside. Strong ball security, good hands as a receiver, and a willing blocker.
Blocky build with thick, powerful legs. Stellar speed and burst. Runs behind low pads and shows good contact balance. Presses the line with patience, explosive through gaps, gets north/south and up to speed quickly. Doesn’t have swivel-hips in open field, but makes sharp, slashing cuts. Unproven as a receiver, but a willing blocker.