As the NFL season winds down, FantasyPros will be taking a look at early NFL draft scouting reports before the combine in March. Here’s a look at Blake Corum.
Check out all of our 2023 NFL Draft Scouting Reports & Prospect Profiles 
2023 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Blake Corum (RB – Michigan)
5’8” – 210 lbs.
Background:
Four-star recruit who played sparingly as a freshman (26-77-2) before breaking out the following year with 144-952-11 (6.6) behind Hassan Haskins. Became the feature back this year and was considered a Heisman frontrunner before sustaining a knee injury early in the Ohio State game (week thirteen) which required season-ending surgery; finished the year with 247-1,463-18 (5.9); also caught forty career passes, thirty-five of which came in the past two years.
Positives:
Was arguably the best running back in college football this past season following an efficient sophomore campaign; was asked to carry a high-volume workload between the tackles in one of college football’s strongest conferences. Low-built player with a thick lower-body. Smart, patient runner with plus vision and very quick feet to recognize and hit lanes; nice jump-cuts and hesitation steps. Does a very good job of identifying and squeezing through tight pockets to maximize yardage. Very fast accelerator who shows impressive decisiveness and burst through the hole when the blocking is there. Elusive at the second level, with crisp cuts in space. Very rarely caught in the backfield for a loss. Plays the game with toughness and physicality. Fights hard to finish runs, lowers his shoulder into contact, and consistently falls forward at the end of his carries; legs are always churning. Has protected the ball well, with just two career fumbles. Really improved in pass protection this past season, albeit on a sample size of thirty-two snaps. Also has some experience returning kicks.
Negatives:
May be shorter than some teams like at the position. Recent knee surgery will likely have an impact on his draft stock, as teams weigh how it will affect his explosiveness, long-term health, and readiness for the coming season. More of a competitive runner than an overwhelmingly powerful one who breaks a ton of tackles; yards after contact are relatively modest. Doesn’t offer the biggest target in the passing game, was never particularly dynamic or relied-upon as a receiver, and dropped four passes versus forty career catches. Blitz pickup was somewhat of an issue prior to his junior year.
Summary:
Easily one of the best pure runners in the class on tape, with an outstanding combination of consistency, intelligence, vision, patience, decisiveness, footwork, acceleration, and toughness which allowed him to rack up tons of yardage between the tackles this past season before getting hurt. How teams evaluate his knee seems to be the key to his draft stock, but it would be surprising to see him fall out of the second day, as he has the skills to carve out a long, productive career in the pros.
Projection: Round 2-3
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