{"id":17032,"date":"2025-05-02T04:40:13","date_gmt":"2025-05-02T04:40:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/17032\/"},"modified":"2025-05-02T04:40:13","modified_gmt":"2025-05-02T04:40:13","slug":"how-does-jarquez-hunter-impact-kyren-williams-deal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/17032\/","title":{"rendered":"How does Jarquez Hunter impact Kyren Williams deal?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Los Angeles Rams<\/a>\u2019 backfield got a little bit more crowded during the 2025 NFL Draft when the team selected Jarquez Hunter. Not only was the Auburn running back picked in the fourth round, but the Rams moved up 10 spots<\/a> to secure him at No. 117 overall.<\/p>\n

With Kyren Williams locked in as the No. 1 running back and Blake Corum entering his second season as a former third-round pick, taking Hunter when the Rams did was puzzling to some fans. Why take another running back when you already have Williams and Corum, two capable players still on rookie contracts?<\/p>\n

Not to mention, the Rams have been in talks with Williams<\/a> about a contract extension, aiming to keep him in L.A. beyond just the 2025 season. Drafting Hunter doesn\u2019t mean the Rams are certainly moving on from Williams after this season, but it\u2019s also not a good sign for his future in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n

Sean McVay even acknowledged last month that the team and Williams are apart on where they believe his value is, which means they have to work toward \u201cbridging that gap.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe’ll see how far we have to go for that, but he is a very important part of what we want to be moving forward,\u201d McVay said at the annual league meeting.<\/p>\n

The Rams have never been afraid to move on from a running back \u2013\u00a0or a player at any position \u2013 if they don\u2019t feel he\u2019s worth paying. They cut ties with Todd Gurley before his long-term extension even kicked in. They also traded Cam Akers in 2023 after he had fallen out of favor. Might Williams be the next running back to be kicked off the carousel in L.A.?<\/p>\n

As good as Williams is, and as important as he\u2019s been, it\u2019s hard to say he\u2019s a game-changing talent. Of the 316 carries he had last season, only two of them went for more than 18 yards. Yes, he\u2019s scored 31 total touchdowns in the last two years, but his yards-per-carry average dropped from 5.0 in 2023 to 4.1 in 2024 and he seriously struggled to create big plays.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s where Hunter steps in. He had the second-highest explosive run rate of any running back in the 2025 draft class last season, rushing for at least 10 yards on 18.9% of his carries. Obviously, it\u2019s much tougher to break off long runs in the NFL than it is in college, but Williams had just 27 rushes of 10-plus yards on 316 carries last season, an explosive run rate of 8.5%.<\/p>\n

Auburn RB Jarquez Hunter #27 is a compact, smooth accelerator with good patience to let plays unfold. When he’s getting up to speed, tacklers from the side fall off of his frame with subtle body positioning from Hunter. He breaks tackles and finishes runs very well. I like him pic.twitter.com\/xpaEHoIRGq<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Daniel Harms (@InHarmsWay19) April 3, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

None of this means Hunter will immediately be a home run threat in the Rams\u2019 backfield, but he has far more speed (4.44 40-yard dash compared to 4.63 for Williams) and can run away from defenders \u2013 something Williams has struggled to do.<\/p>\n

In no way is Hunter a 1-for-1 replacement for Williams. They\u2019re very different running backs. However, the Rams drafted Corum because he\u2019s so similar to Williams. That could actually work against Williams as he aims to earn an extension with the Rams.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a world where the Rams move on from Williams in 2026 and elevate Corum and Hunter into a co-starting role. A lot of teams have moved to one-two punches at running back, from David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs to Bucky Irving and Rachaad White.<\/p>\n

Corum and Hunter are a better thunder-and-lightning tandem than Williams and Corum are, providing different skill sets and abilities on offense. So while Hunter won\u2019t become a starter right away or threaten Williams\u2019 role in 2025, he could absolutely impact how hard the Rams push to re-sign Williams.<\/p>\n

If Kyren is asking for too much money, the Rams may not have a problem letting him walk and going with the younger combination in 2026.<\/p>\n

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