An all-league performer and a former Heisman contender, how does Michigan RB Blake Corum project to the NFL with his scouting report? Can Corum earn early-round capital in the 2024 NFL Draft and sustain his production at the professional level?
Blake Corum Draft Profile and Measurements
- Height: 5’8″
- Weight: 213 pounds
- Position: Running Back
- School: Michigan
- Current Year: Senior
At times, Corum invites flashbacks to the Muscle Hamster, Doug Martin. That’s the kind of energy and physicality that he plays with on a down-to-down basis, and it’s what’s made him one of college football’s most productive runners for three years on end.
After joining the Wolverines as a four-star recruit in 2020, Corum emerged in 2021 with 144 carries for 952 yards and 11 touchdowns. In 2022, he reached new dominating heights, this time accumulating 1,463 yards and 18 scores on 247 rushing attempts.
We see you Blake Corum 👀 #GoBlue
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) September 3, 2022
Corum was a fringe Heisman candidate in 2022, and he only continued to produce in 2023. Through the Rose Bowl, Corum amassed 237 carries for 1,111 yards and 25 touchdowns.
With his 2023 season, Corum broke Michigan’s all-time career rushing touchdowns record, and he also further solidified his scouting report as one of the top RB prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Blake Corum Scouting Report
Strengths
- Has a hyper-dense frame with excellent natural leverage in contact situations.
- Can use his size to his advantage, snaking through tight creases with his leg churn.
- Shows off exceptional burst out of cuts and can explode upfield after displacing.
- Has the long speed to extend runs in space and stretch the field for big plays.
- Flashes superb one-cut maneuverability and twitch when disrupting pursuit angles.
- Fleet-footed, energetic runner in space who can adjust leverage and hurdle defenders.
- Has quick-working vision on the front side of zone runs and efficiently works upfield.
- Can identify space in his peripheral vision, bouncing outside when interior gaps collapse.
- Very good at keeping pressure upfield while also tracking across the line to find lanes.
- Has the adaptability to bend outside when adjacent gaps are clogged by linebackers.
- Processes angles with quickness and proficiency in space and capitalizes with agility.
- Flashes superb reaction quickness and creative instincts when faced with early threats.
- Shows glimpses of upside as a receiver, running smooth routes out of the backfield.
- Understands how to use blockers, sneaking behind blocks and displacing defenders.
- Physical, persistent, and high-energy finisher with stellar contact balance.
Weaknesses
- Doesn’t quite have breakaway speed in space, as short strides put a cap on range.
- Initial burst out of cuts isn’t consistently elite, potentially due to tightly wound frame.
- Sometimes misses ideal B-gaps on inside-zone runs and hesitates ahead of congestion.
- Occasionally fails to recognize wide open spaces outside and drifts into contact.
- Sometimes bounces too far outside on power runs and plays himself out of position.
- At times, can use space behind the line more efficiently to utilize fleeting gaps.
- Even with his density, doesn’t quite have the mass to consistently bowl through tackles.
- Isn’t a versatile or proven receiving threat and lacks the volume to insulate his profile.
- As a blocker, sometimes leaves his feet to compensate for lacking size and power.
- Will turn 24 years old in November of his rookie year.
Current Draft Projection and Summary
Corum grades out as a potential top-100 prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft. Set to be 24 years old midway through his rookie year, his age may work against him.
But as a football player, Corum has the profile to be productive early in his NFL career.
MORE: Top RBs in the 2024 NFL Draft
As a pure runner, Corum’s profile is impressively well-rounded. He might not be quantifiably elite in any area, but he has excellent burst, speed, lateral agility, vision, and creative instincts when approaching and off-setting defenders.
He’s also a hyper-dense, well-leveraged runner at 5’8″, 213 pounds, who can bounce off of solo tackles and use his constant leg churn to maximize his finishing output.
Where Corum falters is largely in the passing phase. He’s not a liability on passing downs by any stretch, as he has flashed the ability to catch passes out of the backfield. Additionally, his explosiveness and contact balance project well in that phase.
Nevertheless, Corum is not a very diverse receiving threat, and while he brings good willingness as a pass protector, his footwork and block maintenance ability can still improve.
Nevertheless, as a Day 2 prospect who might fall to Day 3 on account of his size and age, Corum can be a great NFL rotational back right out of the gate, and he has the necessary athleticism, vision, spatial manipulation, density, and physicality to take on starter volume and thrive with good blocking.
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