Turf Show Times
Running back Blake Corum was one of the biggest breakout performers for the Los Angeles Rams last season. After posting a paltry 207 yards and no touchdowns on the ground as a rookie, Corum took on a much larger share of the running back workload in 2025, rushing for 746 yards on 5.1 yards per carry with six touchdowns. He became yet another legitimate weapon for one of the most dangerous offenses in the NFL.
How much more can he produce in 2026?
Rams beat writer Nate Atkins of The Athletic posted a piece late this past week about potential breakout candidates in L.A. this coming season, and Corum was the second name on his list (after tight end Terrance Ferguson). Atkins said that while Kyren Williams will still likely be the Rams’ third-down back, he thinks the rushing attempts splits will be closer to even, and had a bold thought about Corum’s ceiling in 2026.
“If he can stay healthy, Corum could push for his first 1,000-yard rushing season this year, even with Williams’ presence,” Atkins wrote.
If the former third-round pick out of Michigan could crack the 1,000-yard threshold it would obviously be a huge boon for the Rams offense. At the same time, it would mean that either Los Angeles is making history or a trend is getting bucked.
If Corum is to pass 1,00 yards, that likely means a significant drop-off for Williams, who isn’t a perfect player and isn’t always the most popular in the Rams fan ecosystem, but he’s been consistently productive during his NFL career. He has at least 1,100 yards rushing three straight years and over 1,200 in the last two. He’s a scoring machine, with 10+ touchdowns in three consecutive seasons. And while he has his flaws, his under-the-hood advanced numbers grade him favorably as well. He ranked 23rd out of 49 qualified rushers in Rush Yards Over Expected per Attempt last season, and ranked 11th in rushing EPA, all according to NFL Pro/NextGenStats.
Of course, Corum is something of an analytical darling himself, finishing last season 10th in RYOE/attempt and second in rushing EPA, so it’s not a huge leap to think he can be even more productive with more snaps and a heavier workload.
It’s also, frankly, hard to see a scenario in which both Corum and Williams rush for over 1,000 yards, especially considering the other weapons on this offense and the fact that as long as you have Matthew Stafford playing a high level you still want to let him throw it plenty.
There have only been two 1,000-yard rushers on the same team seven times in NFL history. The last time was when Lamar Jackson and Mark Ingram did it for the Baltimore Ravens in 2019, and the last time it was two running backs pairing for the feat was the duo of Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams for the 2009 Carolina Panthers. That team’s quarterback play was split between Jake Delhomme, who had eight touchdowns...
