2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Michigan RB Blake Corum

From now until the 2024 NFL Draft takes place, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, all the way down to Day 3 selections, and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Michigan RB Blake Corum.

#2 BLAKE CORUM, RB, MICHIGAN – (SENIOR) 5080, 213 POUNDS

MEASUREMENTS

THE GOOD

— Has a strong, stout frame
— Possesses decent speed and burst
— Accelerates well in the open field
— Has the quickness to make quick cuts to evade defenders
— Can jump cut to the hole and suddenly change direction to cut back to open grass
— Does a great job making quick decisions when approaching the hole
— Possesses great contact balance to stay upright when running through the pile
— Compact runner that can be difficult to bring down with his center of gravity
— Does a good job locating his blockers and following his blocks
— Can be a battering ram in goal line/short-yardage situations
— Catches the football seamlessly out of the backfield
— Competent pass protector that keeps his head on a swivel and uses leverage to win blocks
— Has experience returning kicks

THE BAD

— Lacks great top-end speed at the position
— A little short when hit comes to stature
— Will be a 24-year-old rookie
— Will be coming into the league with a heavy college workload
— Lacks sheer size that can aid in short-yardage situations

BIO

— Senior prospect from Marshall, VA
— Born November 25, 2000 (age 23)
— Grew up helping his grandfather on the farm in rural Virginia, and had the farmhouse tattooed on his shoulder 
— Transferred Marshall to attend St. Frances Academy in Baltimore, Maryland for more exposure in recruiting
— 2019 Gatorade Player of the Year, Under Armour All-American Game invite, Four-star recruit according to Rivals
— Appeared in all six games as a true freshman in 2020; carried 26 times for 77 yards with two touchdowns and caught five passes for 73 yards, also returned five kickoffs for 96 yards
— Played in 12 games in 2021 and recorded 143 carries for 952 yards with 11 touchdowns and added 24 receptions for 141 yards and one touchdown; also returned 12 kickoffs for 304 yards
— Started 12 games in 2022 and ran for 1,463 yards  on 247 attempts with 18 touchdowns ( and added 11 receptions for 80 yards with a score
— Started all 15 games in 2023 and led the team with 258 rushes for 1,245 yards and 27 touchdowns and added 16 catches for 117 yards with a touchdown
— Sport Management major, 2023 team captain
— CFP National Champion (2023), Unanimous All-American (2022), First-team All-American (2023), 2× Ameche–Dayne Running Back of the Year (2022, 2023), 2× first-team All-Big Ten (2022, 2023), Third-team All-Big Ten (2021)

TAPE BREAKDOWN

Blake Corum finished a lustrous career in Ann Arbor with the Wolverines playing at Michigan for four seasons and set the program single-season record for rushing touchdowns (27), total touchdowns (28), and points scored (168; also a Big Ten record) this past season. He helped lead the Wolverines to their first National Championship in decades, embracing a physical, ground-and-pound play style that Corum perfectly emulates in his game.

When you pop in the tape on Corum, you see a short, compact runner that can be a bowling ball on the football field. He has a filled-out frame that is build low to the ground, allowing him to bounce off tacklers with relative ease. He also makes for a great battering ram near the end zone as you can see in the clip below, following his blockers up the hole with churn his legs on contact to finish in the ned zone for the score.

While a powerful back, Corum has also flashed his ability to create in the open field as well thanks you his burst and acceleration as a runner. He isn’t the fastest back when it comes to pure speed, but he does have enough juice to rip off long runs like you can see in the clips below, making quick cuts to get to the sideline in the first clip as he sprints down the field, ripping off a big run in the first play while he manages to take it to the house in the second for the score. In the second clip, we see Corum’s speed as he his the open hole quickly, cutting back to the sideline where he follows his blockers up the sideline as he rips off the 66-yard touchdown run.

As you can see in the clips bove, Corum is a shifty runner in the open field as well as when he approaches the line of scrimmage, routinely making defenders miss thanks to his synced up eyes and feet to evade defenders and make quick cuts. Watch the first clip below as Corum follows his blockers and makes a quick cut back to get into open space, going from being bottled up in the backfield to picking up a nice gain. In the second clip, we see Corum’s elusiveness on full display as he jukes out LB Jack Campbell from Iowa in the hole, making Campbell hesitate as Corum bounces the run and gets the angle to the end zone for the score.

Corum possesses great contact balance as a runner, not only running through contact, but also staying upright when defenders are coming at his legs. Take a look at this play against Alabama in the semifinal where Corum hits a nice jump cut to his left and then stays upright as a defender flies in, trying to swing him down by the shoulder pads. Corum stays upright and finishes the run in the end zone, putting the Wolverines on top.

Corum is also a capable pass protector, having the skill set to go out and catch passes, but also stay home and put his face in the fan to stonewall opposing blitzers. Watch this rep where Corum picks up the blitz on a stunt by Wisconsin, working laterally to the gap where the defender is going to step in-front of him to keep the quarterback clean.

There aren’t many negatives when it comes to Corum’s game as a runner. He lacks true game-changing speed and is a little older as a prospect. He also has shown on tape that he will cough up the football when hit in the right spot like on this rep against Penn State where the defender puts his helmet on the football as Corum approaches the line of scrimmage, forcing the fumble as the quarterback manages to fall back on the football.

CONCLUSION

Blake Corum is a physical, throwback runner that can do it all in an offense. He is a capable runner between the tackles as well as having the elusiveness to work outside, doing his best when he can read his blocks in-front of him and make a defender miss to get into open space. He is a capable receiver out of the backfield and also operates well in pass protection, making him a well-rounded back that can play all three downs. He doesn’t have amazing straight line speed or ideal height, but Corum has carried the load for Michigan and likely can do the same if given the opportunity in the pro.

When coming up with a pro comparison for Corum, a current player that shares a lot of similarities is Kyren Williams for the Rams. Williams, like Corum, is smaller in stature and doesn’t possess great straight-line speed, but has deceptive burst and acceleration as well as good contact balance to run low to the ground and bounce off defenders. He also is shifty when making his cuts like Corum, having broke out in his rookie season after being a fifth-round pick this past spring.

I would expect Corum to go earlier than Williams, seeing as he has nearly 20 pounds on the former Notre Dame runner coming out. The Steelers may not need a running back with who they currently have in the backfield, but expect Corum to contribute right away for whoever drafts him likely somewhere on Day Two of the draft.

Projection: Day 2
Depot Draft Grade: 8.2 Future Quality Starter (Second Round)
Games Watched: at Penn State (2023), vs Iowa (2023), vs Alabama (2023), at Iowa (2022)