The Philadelphia Eagles could very likely select a running back in the 2024 NFL draft, and Michigan Wolverines standout Blake Corum has been touted as an ideal possibility.
With top running back D’Andre Swift hitting the open market and both Boston Scott and Rashaad Penny also set to be free agents, Philly is going to have to address its RB room. Ryan Fowler of Bleacher Report thinks Corum would be an ideal way for the team to do that.
“Blake Corum has been one of college football’s headlining athletes over the last few years,” Fowler wrote on December 30. “His vision, footwork and physicality pop off the screen when you turn on the tape.”
Eagles Have Ideal Situation at OL for Young RBs
As Fowler also notes, a legitimate concern regarding Corum is the way he has played behind an elite offensive line his entire collegiate career. “Some lines are simply better than others, and Corum has run behind a group of athletes who have distorted opposing lines for seasons on end,” Fowler wrote, adding:
“While some teams could shy away because of the reasoning mentioned and the wear on the tires from his time in Ann Arbor (636 career carries), he should become a high-level rotational piece.”
Philadelphia likely wouldn’t shy away, as it has had one of the best offensive lines in football for the past several seasons.
The Eagles are averaging 128.6 yards rushing per game, which is ranked ninth in the NFL. In 2022, Philly had the league’s fifth-best rushing attack, putting up 147.6 yards on the ground per game.
While the Eagles have a few aging O-linemen in right tackle Lane Johnson and center Jason Kelce, both were All-Pro selections last season. With right guard Cam Jurgens, left tackle Jordan Mailata and left guard Landon Dickerson all playing well, landing in Philly could be a dream for Corum.
What Would Blake Corum Bring to the Philadelphia Eagles?
At 5’8″ and 213 pounds, Corum is small, but he packs quite the punch. The 23-year-old RB played minimally his freshman year in 2020, appearing in just six games. He broke out as a sophomore in 2021, when he rushed for 952 yards and 11 touchdowns (6.6 yards per rush).
He followed that up with his best collegiate season. Corum rushed for 1,463 yards on 247 carries (5.9 yards per carry) and 18 touchdowns in 2022.
This season, he had 218 carries for 1,028 yards (4.7 yards per rush) and a whopping 24 touchdowns, often seeing his number called in goal line situations. He was a unanimous All-American selection that year.
Corum isn’t as much of a threat catching passes out of the backfield, (he caught 10 passes on 11 targets for 82 yards this year), but his explosiveness is undeniable. The Michigan running back had 36 runs of 10 or more yards in 2022 and 20 this year.
Walter Football has Corum projected to be taken in the second or third round of this year’s draft. Philadelphia has two second-round selections in addition to a projected compensatory pick in Round 3.
Things could change, of course, as there’s still over four months left until the draft arrives. But as it stands, Corum will likely be a player for Eagles fans to monitor.
