2024 Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Profile: Blake Corum, RB Michigan
The 2024 running back draft class has been described as terrible, lacking, and every other descriptor that means bad. While I agree that it isn’t the most exciting RB class in the past few years, I do think there are at least a handful of players who stand out as potential values in upcoming rookie drafts. Blake Corum is one of those players, and I believe he can be a difference-maker in the league, especially with the right landing spot.
The Stats
Courtesy of Sports Reference.
A four-star recruit and compared to Aaron Jones by scouts at 247 Sports, Corum decided to join the Michigan Wolverines, despite offers from other high-end schools like Ohio State, Georgia, LSU, USC, and Wisconsin.
Corum’s true freshman season was shortened because of Covid, with the Wolverines only playing six games. In that season, he competed with current NFL players like Hassan Haskins, Zach Charbonnet, and Chris Evans, but was still able to earn the second-most touches of all RBs.
Corum’s sophomore season started with Charbonnet transferring to UCLA and five-star recruit Donovan Edwards joining the team. Haskins continued to be the lead back for Michigan, but Corum was substantially more efficient with his touches, averaging 6.5 scrimmage yards per touch and a nine percent big-time-run-rate to Haskins’ 5.1, and six percent, respectively.
2022 saw Corum take over the lead back role, and he ran with it (sorry, I had to). He proved that he had what it takes to be a high-end NFL Draft prospect on his way to being considered for the Heisman trophy. Unfortunately, he never got a chance to cash in on his spectacular junior season because he tore the meniscus in his left knee in the second-to-last game of the season. With a six-month recovery timeline ahead of him, he decided to stay in school and give it one more go.
2023 began with a lot of question marks for Corum and the rest of the running back room at the University of Michigan. Edwards had earned more of a role toward the second half of the previous season and had filled in admirably for the final few games. Add in the health concerns for Corum, and it was difficult to project more than a split backfield for Corum and Edwards. While Corum didn’t quite look like himself in 2023, he still led the backfield with 274 total touches for 1,362 yards and a whopping 28 touchdowns.
The Film
I chose this video because it was late enough in the season for Corum to fully gain his athleticism back, and it shows in a big way! He earned some hard yards on runs up the middle, pushed his way for extra yardage, flashed his cutting ability, and ran away from defenders throughout the College Football Championship game.
The only issue I think people can surmise from the film is Corum’s short stature.
The Measurables
Image courtesy of NFL.
Corum comes in as a shorter prospect but clears any kind of BMI concerns with his 205-pound weigh-in. While his 40-yard dash time doesn’t compare to some of the fastest backs in the class, his combine ended with a top-ten speed and burst score. Add in the 27 reps on the bench press, and it was an exciting showing for Corum.
Beyond the athleticism scores, Corum showcased his abilities with the rest of the drills as well.
The Value
Image courtesy of NFL Mock Draft Database.
Corum’s NFL Draft value has had its ups and downs but has reverted to an early-to-mid third-round pick in recent weeks. That makes him one of the earliest projected running backs in the class, third to be exact, and with that will likely come a boost in rookie-draft value. There is also quite a bit of speculation that he could end up being drafted by his former Michigan coach, Jim Harbaugh, as early as the second round, or more realistically with the Chargers’ 69th overall draft pick. It would be difficult to control the hype if that happened, and we would likely see Corum mentioned as one of the top RBs in the class.
Data from March 2024 Rookie Dynasty ADP.
He is currently being mocked in the early second round of 1 QB rookie drafts, as the third running back off the board. An earlier-than-expected draft pick and/or an ideal landing spot like the Cowboys or Chargers would likely catapult him into the RB1 mix.
Dynasty Outlook
As a devy analyst, I have been scouting and talking about Blake Corum for years now. His name was rarely mentioned in the same breath as some of the other top RBs in the class, so I always expected I would be able to draft him as a sleeper, or at least a mid-tier player. A lack of complete prospect profiles in the 2024 class has pushed Corum higher than I may end up feeling comfortable with, so for now I am not expecting to end up with many shares in my own rookie drafts.
More recently, Corum has been considered one of the higher-end options, in the 2024 Draft class. I have him a little lower than that in my rankings because of a lack of high-end athleticism and the fact that he’ll be 24 toward the end of his rookie season. With that said, an ideal landing spot could help me change my mind, as he has proven to be able to be a workhorse back.
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