FantasyPros will be taking a look at early NFL Draft scouting reports before the Combine in March. Here’s a look at Michigan running back Blake Corum.

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2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Blake Corum

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 in 2022 year and was considered a Heisman frontrunner before sustaining a knee injury early in the Ohio State game (Week 13) which required season-ending surgery; finished the year with 247-1,463-18 (5.9); also caught 40 career passes – 35 of which came in the past two years. Returned and has had another highly productive (if somewhat less efficient) senior season of 218-1,028-24 (4.7) heading into the bowl game, with another fourteen catches.

Positives:

Following an efficient sophomore campaign, has had two excellent seasons in a row; has been 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 four career fumbles. Also has some experience returning kicks.

Negatives:

May be shorter than some teams like at the position. Recent knee surgery will likely have an effect 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 has been inconsistent over a limited sample size, although he did perform well as a junior.

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 allows him to rack up tons of yardage between the tackles. How teams evaluate his knee seems to be the key to his draft stock, especially because his yards-per-carry dropped somewhat this past season, 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