The Los Angeles Rams’ offense is going to look a lot different in 2020 after the departures of key players such as Todd Gurley and Brandin Cooks.
The Rams did not waste any time replacing their two key skilled position players as they used their first two picks in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft on a running back in Cam Akers and wide receiver in Van Jefferson.
Both Akers and Jefferson are expected to make an impact right away in 2020, and Akers even has a golden opportunity to win the team’s starting running back job in training camp.
It will not be easy for Akers as his competition is Malcolm Brown and Darrell Henderson, two running backs the organization is very high on. The Rams wouldn’t have taken Akers in the second round if they didn’t see something in him though, and new offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell recently described what that is, via Stu Jackson of TheRams.com:
“Cam was a guy that, really studying him, you saw the amount of personal grit and determination where you saw some of his runs. He was running against a lot of loaded looks there at Florida State and he was able to create a lot on his own, and as well you see the upside. I think it was a great running back draft, there was a lot of depth across the board, but for us and for me personally, with Cam, just watching and thinking about where he can possibly get to and get maximized in our offense.”
Akers was a second-team All-ACC selection in his final season at Florida State, carrying the ball 231 times for 1,144 yards and 14 touchdowns, also contributing 30 catches for 225 receiving yards and four touchdowns.
Florida State wasn’t very good in 2019, so Akers was their lone bright spot on offense even with opposing teams crowding the box to stop him.
Akers’ best skillset is his elusiveness as he was recently ranked the most elusive rookie running back in the league by Pro Football Focus. If the Rams can find a way to get him the ball in space, which Sean McVay and O’Connell should have no problem doing, then the team should still be very productive at the running back position in 2020 even with the loss of Gurley.
