2024 NFL Draft Rookie Profile: RB Blake Corum (Fantasy Football)
The 2024 NFL Draft is right around the corner – that means it’s officially rookie time and prospect season! For this article series, our writing staff will be covering many of the top prospects in this class by taking a look at each player’s production profile, their measurables and their film in order to give an outlook for fantasy football in 2024 and beyond.
We’ll kick things off with Michigan’s TD machine, RB Blake Corum, who should hear his name called on day two of the NFL Draft. Will his game translate to the NFL, and what are his chances of cracking our fantasy lineups for the next few years? Let’s dive in.
Editor’s Note: This article is part of our Rookie Profile series going on until the 2024 NFL Draft. For more on each rookie, check out Andy, Mike, and Jason’s exclusive rookie rankings and the production profiles found only in the Dynasty Pass, part of the UDK+ for 2024.
College Production Profile
When you look at Corum’s production profile, you see a really strong Dominator Rating, thanks to a massive TD share in Michigan’s offense. Corum hit pay dirt 27 times on the ground as a senior while adding 18 rushing scores in 12 games as a Junior before his season was cut short due to a torn meniscus in his knee. He benefited from a strong scheme and offensive line at Michigan, but there’s no two ways about it – Corum was a true workhorse over his final two seasons in Maize and Blue. We’ll touch on some of his efficiency numbers here in a second, but I do want to highlight that there is some carry over from college TD production to the NFL when it comes to fantasy. He at least has that in his profile.
The efficiency, however, was not great, especially in 2023. As I pointed out on X, Corum’s 2.42 yards after contact per attempt is one of the worst marks in this class, and among 299 FBS running backs who logged 50+ carries last season, Corum ranked 269th in this metric. He was also 286th in PFF’s Elusive Rating and forced a missed tackle on just 11.6% of his carries.
Back in 2022, it is worth noting that those numbers all looked much better. His yards after contact per attempt was up at 3.35, and his forced missed tackle rate was all the way up at 29.4%. Other analysts have hypothesized that Corum’s dip in efficiency last year was the result of still recovering from his season-ending knee injury in 2022, but that remains to be seen.
Blake Corum vs. RBs Drafted Day 1-2 [Since 2014]
Yards After Contact / Attempt
2021: 62nd percentile
2022: 30th percentile
2023: 1st percentileEra-Adjusted Missed Tackles / Attempt
2021: 84th percentile
2022: 52nd percentile
2023: single worst season of 123 qualifiers https://t.co/5x4u2cLqtJ— Scott Barrett (@ScottBarrettDFB) February 17, 2024
As a pass catcher, Corum’s receiving profile is almost non-existent. He logged just a 0.87 yards per route run as a pass catcher in 2023, and in 2022, that number was an abysmal 0.59 yards per route run. Granted, it’s a small sample size as Corum was only targeted 29 total times over the last two years. Regardless, those numbers are certainly not what you want to see from an efficiency standpoint, especially in fantasy football.
All in all, Corum’s raw box score numbers look really strong as he was one of the most heavily-utilized RBs in college football. But when you dive into the underlying efficiency numbers, it’s fair to question how much of a ceiling Corum has in the NFL.
Measurables
| Height | Weight | Age | Breakout Age | 40-Yard Dash | Vertical | 3-Cone |
| 5’8″ | 205 lbs. | 23.2 | 20.8 | 4.53 | 35.5″ | 6.82 |
At 5’8″, Corum is slightly shorter than our RB1 average in our database. Fortunately, at 210 lbs., Blake Corum is built to handle a heavy workload as we saw during his time at Michigan. While playing for the Wolverines, Corum averaged 19.9 total touches per game over his final two years. Last year specifically, Corum’s 34% share of Michigan’s backfield touches was one of the best numbers in this class, and it’s right in line with our RB1 average of 35.5%. On the surface it seems as though Corum’s frame should be able to handle plenty of touches at the next level if he’s given the opportunity to do so.
However, it is worth pointing out that since 1999, only seven RBs have been selected in Rounds 1-3 that have been 5’8″ or shorter: Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Devin Singletary, Darrell Henderson, LaMichael James, Maurice Jones-Drew, Garrett Wolfe & Kevin Faulk – a bit of a mixed bag, but there certainly aren’t many superstars on this small list.
In terms of his athletic testing, Corum obviously didn’t set any records in Indianapolis, but he wasn’t expected to – Corum is an average to above average athlete who doesn’t win with game-breaking speed. One area where he did shine is in the 3-cone drill, which shows some good lateral agility and quickness. On tope of the testing, Corum performed well in the on-field drills, looking natural in the RB positional drills. All in all, Corum checked the boxes in Indy.
What’s on Tape
Games Viewed: Rutgers (2023), Penn State (2023), Washington (2023), Maryland (2023), Nebraska (2022), Penn State (2022), Iowa (2022)
1. Blake Corum is a patient runner who follows his blocks well.
Running behind Michigan’s O-line, Corum’s tape is filled with plays where he lets the play develop and runs behind the blockers he’s supposed to run behind. It’s underrated, it’s not sexy, but it’s effective. In the clip below against Washington, Corum runs behind a pulling offensive lineman and a TE. He waits for those guys to key in on their blocks, then cuts it back upfield, slips a tackle and finishes the play for a score.
2. Corum is a powerful runner, especially for his size.
Perhaps aided by his compact stature and low center of gravity, he is a physical runner who fights through contact all over the field. This definitely helps him in short yardage situations, especially around the goal line.
3. Blake Corum’s lateral quickness is sudden enough to make defender’s miss, but he won’t blow you away with game changing speed.
This play is really strong. It’s a power set with a run to the right side of the line, and Michigan’s O-line opens up a gaping hole for Corum. All he has to do is make the linebacker miss, and he’s off to the races. He does a really nice job of changing speeds, slowing down to make the LB hesitate, then sticks his foot in the ground, hits him with the lateral jump cut, and he’s gone. This is Detroit Lions‘ 2023 first round LB Jack Campbell, by the way.
What’s Not on Tape
1. Pass Catching Work
In our game of fantasy football where almost every league is half-PPR or full PPR, pass catching RBs generally carry more weight or have access to to an elevated ceiling (and a better floor). It’s part of what’s made guys like Alvin Kamara, Austin Ekeler, Saquon Barkley and others some of the top names in the game for the last few years, and it’s a big reason why fantasy players are so excited about younger backs like Breece Hall, Jahmyr Gibbs and Bijan Robinson. Corum’s lack of pass catching work is at least a yellow flag for me. He ran just nine routes per game last season, and on those routes, earned a target on just 13.3% of his routes.
2. Long Speed to Hit Big Plays
When I watched Corum’s tape, I saw a RB who can consistently get you 3-5 yards, or in other words, get what’s blocked for him. I did not see special play making ability in the open field or the ability to consistently get to the second level. Of course, there’s flashes of it on tape simply because of how many chances he had as Michigan’s workhorse, but by no means is it his calling card. For reference, his breakaway rush rate in 2023 was 31.8%. Among the 299 FBS backs who logged 50+ attempts, that ranked 166th in the country.
2024 Fantasy and Dynasty Outlook
Blake Corum is a really interesting prospect in that I’m more interested in investing in Corum in season long formats rather than dynasty formats. That may sound counter intuitive, so let me explain.
As of late February, Corum has a Consensus Big Board ranking of 64 according to NFL Mock Draft Database, which makes him a fringe Round 2/3 guy. Any RB who expects to hear their name called on day two of the NFL Draft is going to have value (or at least perceived value) in fantasy football.
As a rookie, Corum’s fantasy value will largely depend on his landing spot. If he can go to a situation without an incumbent (you may have heard the Chargers need a back and there’s some guy there who knows Corum very well!), there’s an opportunity for him to step in right away and compile touches as the starter. In that instance, Corum would be on the radar as an RB2 type of player for redraft leagues right away.
However, as we’ve seen throughout his time in college, his efficiency numbers have declined, he’s not great in the receiving game, and he’s already 23 years old. Among the 2024 rookies in our database in the Dynasty Pass, only Ray Davis is an older prospect than Corum. From a dynasty perspective, it’s really tough to project how RBs will be valued in a year or two, but one thing is certain – it’s the position that has the highest turnover rate year over year.
When you look at his profile on the whole, there’s plenty of warning signs that Corum may not hold value year over year, especially if the efficiency woes continue in the pros. In other words, RBs who are inefficient (especially those without elite draft capital) tend to see reduced opportunities in future seasons. That said, I see the path where Corum carves out a role in the NFL as an early down back, and we know the guy can score TDs. Those wanting to invest in Corum in dynasty rookie drafts can expect to spend an early second round pick on the former Michigan Wolverine.