The Los Angeles Rams made quite an investment when they took running back Cam Akers out of Florida State in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
There had been a notable void in the backfield with the departure of running back Todd Gurley during the offseason. Although they already boasted some quality depth in Darrell Henderson and Malcolm Brown, the Rams had high hopes for Akers going into his rookie year.
Akers started the 2020 NFL season as the starter in head coach Sean McVay’s committee approach in the backfield. He ended the year as the clear-cut workhorse and one of the most promising young backs in the league.
Akers endured his fair share of growing pains throughout the course of his rookie campaign. He feels he made some significant strides both on and off the field, via Stu Jackson of the team’s official website:
“I definitely feel like it went good, for the most part,” Akers said during an end-of-season video conference on Sunday. “I was able to learn a lot from the players, the coaches, the staff, the training staff. Ultimately, I was able to grow as a young man and as a player, and that’s all you can really ask for. When you know you went out on the field and put everything you got on the line, that’s all you can really ask for, is to grow and learn from wherever you went wrong. You want to build on that.”
Akers added that things started to click for him during the halfway point of the season:
“I would say probably about mid-season,” Akers said. “That’s when I started to get a good grasp on the run, the concepts, what the coaches wanted, how everything was being blocked. I kind of settled in and played football and it showed.”
Akers’ comments are indicative of his major development since first entering the league. While he managed to fit the billing as a top draft pick and then some this season, expectations now remain as high as ever moving forward.
Akers made his fair share of history starting with his 171-yard effort versus the New England Patriots in Week 14. He also registered 221 yards and two touchdowns on 46 carries in the postseason and became the first Rams rookie to register 100 in his playoff debut.
While there may be plenty of speculation regarding L.A.’s plans under center this offseason, there is no denying Akers’ status as an integral piece of this offense.
