Turf Show Times
The Los Angeles Rams entered the offseason needing to get more explosive at the running back position. While Kyren Williams has been a valuable piece of the offense, he lacks big-play ability. The Rams run game ranked last in explosive run percentage at 1.8 percent. Given how much the Rams like Williams, they were never going to move on from him and the team made a statement when they signed him to a three-year extension. Still, that doesn’t mean they weren’t going to add to the running back room and that’s exactly what the Rams did in the draft by selecting Auburn’s Jarquez Hunter.
Hunter was one of the more “explosive” running backs in the draft. His 18.9 percent explosive run rate at Auburn last season ranked second behind only RJ Harvey. However, the context behind Hunter’s production may be more impressive given that he played in the SEC.
The Rams selected Hunter as a complement to Williams. While he may not get involved heavily as a rookie, this is someone that the Rams really liked during the draft process. Through two preseason games, he has been the primary Rams running back with 26 rushing attempts. That’s the third-most among running backs in the preseason. He’s already displayed why the Rams drafted him, ranking 11th in carries of five yards or more at 42.3 percent. The fourth-round pick is also tied for first with seven missed tackles forced, six of which came against the Chargers.
Still, that doesn’t mean he’s been perfect either which is to be expected, running behind a backup offensive line and in his first NFL action. Among running backs with at least 10 carries, he ranks 32nd with just 3.7 yards per attempt. Hunter is also 28th in yards after contact per attempt, despite having moments in which he’s run hard through contact.
As of now, the Rams are getting exactly what they drafted, and that includes some of the negatives. As The Athletic’s Dane Brugler said,
“He isn’t the most creative or elusive runner at the line of scrimmage or in space, but he keeps his legs pumping to carry tacklers draped on his back. Overall, Hunter’s vision and tempo tend to run hot and cold, but he is a hammerhead with downhill burst to run through holes and into contact without gearing down.”
Draft analyst Kyle Crabbs also wrote something similar,
“Hunter is a linear player and lacks the same appeal when playing with a loose lower half. He doesn’t string cuts together particularly well, and he’s mostly a tightly wound ball of muscle as opposed to a slippery, fluid runner through tight creases and spaces.”
While Hunter has a high percentage of 5+ yard runs, he also has seven that have gone for no gain or negative yardage. That’s a rate of 26.9 percent. It’s also become clear that Kyren Williams and Blake Corum should and will be used in short yardage situations. Hunter has five rushing attempts in three-yards-or-less-to-go situations....
