Michigan Star Blake Corum Reunites With His Coach?
Blake Corum's NFL Draft Odds Make It Possible in the 2024 NFL Draft
Former Michigan Running Back Expected to Be Among First 100 NFL Draft Picks
Blake Corum put his professional dreams on hold after an NCAAF injury brought an end to one of the best seasons for the University of Michigan running back in 2022. It was hard to argue with the results as Corum was a key piece of a Michigan team that went undefeated and won the national title.
Now the question is where will he land in this week’s NFL Draft. While some of his teammates are expected to go in the first round, led by quarterback J.J. McCarthy, Corum may not hear his name called until the second or third round when looking at the Blake Corum NFL Draft odds.
Tyrone Wheatley, Ron Johnson, and Rob Lytle are among the former Michigan running backs to make an impact in the NFL but there isn’t a long list of Wolverines who have been dynamic rushers at the NFL level when looking at the NFL stats.
The NFL Draft begins on Thursday with the first round. The second and third rounds are on Friday with Rounds 4-7 on Saturday. The draft will be held in Detroit.
When looking at the sportsbook odds, Southern California quarterback Caleb Williams is the favorite to go first overall to the Chicago Bears.
Here is more about Michigan running back Blake Corum’s NFL Draft odds.
Piling Up the Yards
If the NFL Draft was simply about production at the college level, Corum would be one of the first NCAAF players to hear his name called in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Over the last three years, he had 14 games with at least 100 rushing yards and ran for at least two touchdowns on 18 occasions.
Corum rushed for 3660 yards in those three NCAAF seasons on 5.6 yards per carry. He also caught 51 passes. He won multiple awards for his work away from the football field so there are no character concerns for the former Michigan back. Corum also returned kickoffs earlier in his collegiate career.
The issue is the position that he plays. Running backs aren’t valued as much by teams these days. It is not unusual for a team to grab a No. 1 back in the later rounds.
Isiah Pacheco, a key member of the last two Super Bowl-winning teams with the Kansas City Chiefs, was a seventh-round pick.
When looking at Blake Corum’s NFL Draft odds, keep in mind that Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs were 2023 first-round picks who flirted with 1000-yard seasons as rookies.
However, Achane almost certainly would have been the top rookie rusher had he not been limited to 11 games.
Where Could Corum Land?
Projecting where Corum could be drafted is easier than figuring out which team drafts him. His former coach Jim Harbaugh is now with the Los Angeles Chargers. So it makes sense for the Chargers to have the best NFL odds at +190 to draft him.
Austin Ekeler is no longer with the Chargers but the team added former Baltimore Ravens JK Dobbins and Gus Edwards to go with Isaiah Spiller, a fourth-round pick in 2022 so the Chargers adding another running back is a definite possibility.
Devin Singletary could be the top back with the New York Giants and there is not much in the way of proven NFL runners behind him so the +330 odds for Corum to land with the Giants are easy to understand.
The Dallas Cowboys could be in the market for a running back with Corum at +750 to land with the Cowboys with the Las Vegas odds having the Minnesota Vikings next at +850.
Hitting the Ground Running
Let’s take a look at where Corum ranks in this year’s group of running backs.
Southern California’s MarShawn Lloyd is the first running back on former NFL scout Daniel Jeremiah’s Top-150 Prospects list at No. 56. Jonathan Brooks of Texas follows at No. 57. Kentucky’s Ray Davis is 81st and finally, Corum is at No. 90 just ahead of Clemson’s Will Shipley at No. 91.
But none of those players rushed for more yards than Corum did in 2023. The No. 90 pick would put Corum in the third round. That is not a deal breaker as one of the best running backs in last year’s draft was De’Von Achane and he was picked by Miami in the third round.
A Look At the Numbers
Corum tested pretty well in the pre-draft process with a 4.53 time in the 40-yard dash, a 35.5-inch vertical jump, and a 3-cone drill time of 6.82.
None of his times or distances are going to scare off NFL teams.
At 205 pounds, he has the size necessary to withstand the pounding in the NFL even though at 5-8, he is a little bit shorter than many NFL running backs.
One question is how much information will Harbaugh be providing on his former star running back if other NFL coaches or executives ask for his input.
It is not unusual for scouting reports from college head coaches to be key factors in the ranking of draft-eligible prospects. If Harbaugh wants to draft Corum, will that impact the information he is providing to other NFL teams?
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