Blake Corum Draft Profile | Michigan, RB Scouting Report

An All-American and fringe Heisman candidate in 2022, how does Michigan RB Blake Corum project to the NFL with his scouting report? Can Corum effectively challenge for the RB1 mantle in an NFL Draft class that has other talented backs like TreVeyon Henderson, Trey Benson, and Raheim Sanders?

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 two 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.

Now, in the final year before he presumably ascends to the NFL, there isn’t much room for Corum to keep climbing up. But already, he’s put on plenty of exciting tape as a 2024 NFL Draft prospect.

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.
• 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.

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, along with his teammate Donovan Edwards, grades out as a potential top-75 prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft on my board. Edwards has a slightly higher overall grade, and he is also almost two and a half years younger. For RBs in particular, that age difference matters. But in the Day 2 range, Corum can be a very good value addition, with early NFL utility.

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.

MORE: FREE Mock Draft Simulator With Trades

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. But he’s not a very diverse receiver, and while he brings good willingness as a pass protector, his footwork and block maintenance ability can improve.

Nevertheless, as a Day 2 back 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 if necessary.