The 2023 season was packed with pleasant surprises, including the sudden emergence of Kyren Williams.
After rushing for just 139 yards on 35 attempts as a rookie, Williams exploded in 2023, racking up 1,144 yards and 12 touchdowns on 228 carries tallied in just 12 games. When Williams was on the field, the Rams offense was a multidimensional threat on every down.
With a breakout season now under his belt, Williams will no longer operate in the shadows of the NFL. He's ready to build on his newfound fame.
“Honestly, it’s growing off of what I did last year. Being a leader out there on the field and being somebody that people could come to or watch, observe and see what they need to do to be successful," Williams said Tuesday during an appearance on the Rich Eisen Show. "It really doesn’t take much. You have to be dedicated and work to where you want to be. The end goal may not happen tomorrow or the next day, but eventually if you continue to keep working each and every single day, that’s going to get to where you need to be.
"So, for me it’s just living by that and just picking off of what I did last year -- being able to create more explosives in the run game, also being able to create more explosives in the pass game. I’m super excited that we went to go draft Blake Corum. (He’s) somebody that can run the ball very well and hopefully it allows me to get to the slot or run routes out of the backfield to showcase my skills.”
Williams' mention of Corum is important. Los Angeles had struggled to find reliable production in its backfield prior to Williams' surprising 2023 showing, and now, the Rams might have two backs capable of making a significant difference, thanks to the addition of the former Michigan star.
The shifty, sneakily explosive Corum won at the collegiate level with his vision and burst, two traits that should help him find success at the next level. And considering he'll be paired with Williams, the Rams should have a fresh back available to throw at opposing defenses on every down, no matter the situation.
“Obviously, we talk together about what we can do as a unit with every guy. Myself, , Zach Evans, Boston Scott and even Blake Corum, we talk about what we can do as a whole," Williams said when asked about the potential of the Rams' backfield. "We are just working each and every single day to be where we want to be. There’s not conversations where we are like, ‘Blake, I can’t wait until I hit this run and you hit this run.’ We are just grinding, and when those times come, those are conversations that you have on the sideline during the game.
"Like ‘I’m (going to) hit this 15-yard run and when you come in bro, please get a first down.’ It’s stuff like that during the game type of talk, but there’s not really -- right now at practice we are just trying to get each other better. Watching each other move and coach at what we need to get better.”
Last season, Williams was clearly the Rams' best backfield option. The next closest rusher was Royce Freeman, whose numbers (77 carries, 319 yards, two touchdowns) paled in comparison to Williams' totals. And when Williams was absent, so too was Los Angeles' rushing attack, leading to three losses in the four games Williams missed.
Although he's a rookie, Corum should help buttress the backfield in the event the Rams lose Williams again. And if both are available, Los Angeles shouldn't find themselves as dependent on one back.
Ideally, that means Williams' potential rises even more with Corum's inclusion. But we won't know for sure until we see how coach Sean McVay intends to use them, either in tandem or individually.
Either way, Williams isn't about to lower his goals entering 2024. In his mind, he's just getting started.
“You know, I’m always going for that No. 1 spot," Williams said when told he was projected to be the fourth-best running back in terms of fantasy football production. "I don’t like to be anything else (if) not number one. If you're not first, you’re last. So, I’m going to continue to work.”