Scouting Report: Blake Corum (RB) - Michigan
Sales Pitch: “Undersized back with excellent vision and balance. Has a well rounded game that translates to a variety of schemes but limited physical traits and tons of wear and tear creates a modest outlook for his NFL future.”
Athletic Profile
Height: 5’ 7 3/4”
Weight: 205 lbs
Arm Length: 28 7/8”
Hand Size: 9”
40 Yard Dash: 4.53
10 Yard Split: 1.59
Vertical: 35 1/2”
Broad Jump: N/A
Short Shuttle: 4.12
3-Cone: 6.82
Age: 23
Relative Athletic Score: 8.29 / 10.00
Statistics
Career: 675 Carries - 3,737 Yards - 5.5 YPC - 58 Touchdowns
2023: 258 Carries - 1,245 Yards - 4.8 YPC - 27 Touchdowns
Strengths
Multiple seasons of high end college production
Team captain that shows up in biggest moments
Does an excellent job anticipating and finding small creases in run game
Quickness to make first guy miss in the hole
North south runner that is excellent in short yardage
Contact balance and pad level to finish runs falling forward
Competent pass catcher with natural hands
Solid in pass pro due to good effort and ability to key and diagnose free runners
Weaknesses
Limited size for the position
Significant wear and tear on his body in terms of carries and injuries
Average athlete that lacks juice in the open field
Below average strength limits ability to push piles in run game
Struggles to get back up to speed when his feet are forced to stop
Lacks creativity at the 2nd and 3rd level
Fails to consistently beat LBs to the edge
Size and strength limitations can hinder him in pass pro
12 of 45 TDs in 2022/2023 game outside 5 yards
Summary
Blake Corum is an undersized back with very good vision and contact balance. The former 4-Star recruit departs Michigan with one of the most illustrious careers in program history. A 3x All-Big 10 winner, 2x All-American and 1x National Champion as well as a the single season touchdown record holder is a pretty impressive resume. The production matches the accolades with over 3,700 career yards and 58 touchdowns. Corum is a smart tough runner with a compact frame. He is quicker than fast and does a tremendous job finding narrow gaps between his blockers. He is comfortable running both zone and gap concepts, showing the ability to not only find but anticipate openings before they appear. Corum is a good short yardage back due to his excellent effort, natural leverage and exceptional contact balance. He has a north south running style and strong nose for the goal line that made him quite difficult to stop. Corum is not a large back by any means, he struggles to push piles and lacks the play strength to string together consecutive broken tackles. His smaller frame combined with a serious knee injury and over 650 carries in his career will raise questions about his long term durability. Corum is an average athlete that lacks breakaway speed. He displays the ability to make the first man miss in the hole but struggles to accelerate when his feet stop. He does not display impressive burst through the hole and lacks the creativity at the second level to consistently create chunk plays (only 12 of his last 45 touchdowns have come from farther that 5 yards). Corum is a competent third down back. He has soft hands as a checkdown option and despite his size shows the toughness and processing skills to hold up in protection. Corum projects as a quality rotation back at the next level with 3-down versatility. The effort and instincts indicate a high floor but limited physical tools and significant durability questions cap his ceiling. Corum should find himself as a late Day 2/ early Day 3 pick that provides immediate impact.