by J.T. Toth
Photo courtesy of 247 Sports.
The NFL Draft talk never ends, and we are here at Draft 412 in an effort to keep you ready for the next set of gridiron stars. From today until draft night 2024, we will bring you mocks, profiles, team needs, and everything else related to the 2024 NFL Draft.
Today’s Spotlight - Michigan, RB, Bake Corum
Name- Blake Corum
Pos- RB
Team- Michigan
HT/WT- 5’8” 210 lbs.
Born- 11/25/2000
Home – Marshall, VA
Blake Corum attended Saint Frances Academy in Baltimore, MD. As a senior, he was named Gatorade Player of the Year in Maryland after rushing for 1,438 yards and 22 touchdowns.
After getting very little playing time as a freshman, Corum burst on the scene in his sophomore season. Corum ran the ball 144 times for 952 yards and 11 touchdowns. A dangerous kick returner as well, Corum would lead the nation in all-purpose yards with 221.5 yards per game.
Corum’s junior year is when he became a household name and a running back that scouts would start paying attention to. He had an excellent season, leading Michigan to a 13-1 overall record and finished 7th in the Heisman Trophy race, rushing for 1,463 yards and 18 touchdowns. In January of 2023, he announced he would come back and play one more season at Michigan.
Corum is one of the most natural running backs in the class. His patience is his best trait, and this plays well for his excellent cut back ability and vision as a back. He lets his blocks play out before deciding where to cut and what path to take.
Corum has shown the ability to be an above average pass catcher out of the backfield. He can take a swing pass and turn it into a positive gain. Though he is a smaller back, he is efficient at pass blocking and does not shy away from it.
On the downside, Corum lacks breakaway speed and though he runs hard, he will not punish defenders with his running style because of his smaller frame.
Corum’s cutback ability reminds Draft 412 of ex-Steelers' running back Le’Veon Bell. Though Bell was a much larger running back, they share a lot of the same patience and cut back ability.
Strengths
Patience
Cut back ability
Vision
Able pass protector
Pass catching skill
Weaknesses
Size and frame
Lack of breakaway speed
Struggles in short yardage situations
Final Analysis
Blake Corum is a pure running back who drafted in the right situation can have himself a prosperous NFL career. Running backs are hard to place in early mocks with the NFL’s newfound love of the passing game. He should be one of the top 2-3 running backs selected.
Prediction- 2nd/ 3rd Round