I have been thinking about how Blake Corum might do as he prepares for his sophomore season in Sean McVay’s system at the NFL level, and it got me thinking about formers Los Angeles Rams’ running backs like Todd Gurley, Darrell Henderson, Cam Akers and current RB Kyren Williams. Each RB has had their chance to more or less be the “workhorse” of the team in the regular season as they handled significant touches, but not every RB had a great first season with McVay, so how did they bounce back (or not) in Year 2?

sean mcvay is a certified psycho. the power run concepts he deploys exclusively out of 11 personnel is a thing of beauty

if you’re playing wr or te in his offense you better have that dawg in you. kyren ain’t kyren without those receivers in the run game. #RamsHouse pic.twitter.com/BaIoDbun5z

— Ray G (@RayGQue) May 10, 2024

Todd Gurley

2017 (first year in McVay’s system): 279 carries for 1,305 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns. 64 receptions for 788 yards and six touchdowns.

2018 (second year in McVay’s system) 256 carries for 1,251 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns. 59 receptions for 580 yards and four touchdowns.

What can or can’t be said about Gurley? The best running back McVay has had, and perhaps the best offensive player in the league during his prime. His knee caught up with him, but Gurley dominated in his Year 1, and Year 2 in McVay’s scheme at a level no other RB under McVay has.

Darrell Henderson

2019 (first year in McVay’s system): 39 carries for 147 rushing yards and zero touchdowns. Four receptions for 37 yards and zero touchdowns.

2020 (second year in McVay’s system): 138 carries for 624 rushing yards and five touchdowns. 16 receptions for 159 yards and one touchdown.

Henderson took a step forward in his second year after a less than stellar rookie campaign. He’s also the running back on this list that you could argue wasn’t really a “workhorse” in the traditional sense.

Darrell Henderson has admitted difficulty adapting to a zone heavy Rams’ scheme after running mostly gap runs at Memphis. Zone runs rely on vision, processing & patient, controlled footwork to access whichever hole pops open. Pre-Week 1 showed DH has much work to do. pic.twitter.com/mg3a01FhPN

— J Moyer (@JMoyerFB) August 12, 2019

He did get some spot starts, and he had some big games, but whether it was injury or lack of performance, Henderson didn’t take over L.A.’s offense like the other RBs in this article.

He did help the Rams win a Super Bowl though.

On Halloween day 2021, Cooper Kupp extends the drive with his 52 yard catch and run to set up Darrell Henderson for the walk in TD, led through with a great block by Austin Corbett.

The Rams extended to 7-1 before Trick Or Treating started pic.twitter.com/oNnHcMRLTg

— RAMS ON FILM (@RamsOnFilm) October 31, 2023

Cam Akers

2020 (first year in McVay’s system) 145 carries for 625 rushing yards and two touchdowns. 11 receptions for 123 yards and one touchdown.

2021 (second year with the Rams but Aker’s missed the majority of the regular season due to an Achillies injury), He had one carry for five yards, and one reception for three yards before getting some work in the playoffs and helping the Rams win a Super Bowl.

2022 (second active regular season in McVay’s system) 188 carries for 766 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. 13 receptions for 117 receiving yards and zero touchdowns.

Akers’ story in an inspirational one as he’s overcome major injuries, and continues to find opportunities at the NFL level. The second-round pick didn’t exactly work out with the Rams, but don’t let his stats fool you as there were times when the offense ran through him, and he looked the part. There were also times when he and McVay had “philosophical differences.”

Akers had two decent seasons with the Rams, despite any issues with his head coach, and to this point he’s been the most successful rookie running back (based on stats) since McVay has been the head coach of the Rams.

Kyren Williams

2022 (first year in McVay’s system) 35 carries for 139 rushing yards and zero touchdowns. Nine receptions for 76 receiving yards and zero touchdowns.

2023 (second year in McVay’s system) 228 carries for 1,144 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns. 32 receptions for 206 receiving yards and three touchdowns.

Williams was injured his rookie year, but in his second season he usurped Akers, and then in 2024, Williams was one of the most consistent and productive running backs in the league. It took Williams a season, but he’s now had two impressive back-to-back campaigns, and if he stays healthy, he’ll likely get paid by someone. Whether or not it’s the Rams remains to be seen.

Blake Corum

2024 (first year in McVay’s system) 58 carries for 207 rushing yards and zero touchdowns. Seven receptions for eight receiving yards and zero touchdowns.

Corum was a third-round pick in 2024 and is one of the best running backs the Michigan Wolverines have had. In his first year at the NFL level, he didn’t do much and when he had a chance to lead the running back unit in the final week of the season, he suffered a broken arm early, and went on to miss L.A.’s playoff run.

How will Corum do in Year 2?

There is no evidence to say that Corum will have an improved campaign as past performances by other players won’t impact Corum this year, but assuming McVay’s offense is as challenging as I assume it is, he should have a better understanding of the scheme, and with another year of training and NFL coaching he could be in for the best year of his career.

What are your expectations for Blake Corum going into 2025 season?

Fans seemed to expect him to garner a much higher usage as a rookie. It will be interesting to see what direction the backfield takes pic.twitter.com/9LK6WbL4QA

— RAMS ON FILM (@RamsOnFilm) March 26, 2025

Of course, Corum’s success will also be determined by how well Williams, newly drafted Jarquez Hunter, and any other RBs on the roster perform. Based on how McVay allows his best players to play, Corum should have a chance to take over the room, but with how solid Williams has been, it’s hard for me to say with confidence that it’s Corum’s team in 2025.