Darrell Henderson left practice yesterday with a hamstring injury. The Rams are calling it mild, but they also didn't guarantee his availability for Week 1. So time to bump Cam Akers up draft boards a little. His chances of being the lead back in Week 1 have improved.
The Rams also have Malcolm Brown, so a committee of the two is possible even if Henderson isn't out there. But maybe over the next couple of weeks Akers runs circles around the former undrafted back and wins that starting job.
Akers wasn't a highly touted prospect, but he was the 4th running back selected in April, midway through the second round. The chances of a rookie runner taken around there being a significant player in his first season aren't favorable, but they're not terrible, either.
Since 2000, there have been 36 other running backs taken between picks 40 and 60 in the NFL Draft. (Three this year: Jonathan Taylor, Akers and J.K. Dobbins.) Six of those players, including Miles Sanders a year ago, finished the season with top-15 fantasy numbers at their position. Five more finished in the top 35; let's call those guys at least flex options in typical 12-team leagues. So nearly a 1-in-3 chance of the running back selected in that area of the draft being a great or at least decent lineup choice.
| ROOKIE RUNNING BACKS, PICKS 40-60, 2000-PRESENT | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pk | Year | Player | Run | TD | No | Rec | TD | FF |
| 44 | 2008 | Matt Forte, Chi. | 1238 | 8 | 63 | 477 | 4 | 2 |
| 51 | 2002 | Clinton Portis, Den. | 1508 | 15 | 33 | 364 | 2 | 7 |
| 60 | 2006 | Maurice Jones-Drew, Jac. | 941 | 13 | 46 | 436 | 2 | 8 |
| 55 | 2014 | Jeremy Hill, Cin. | 1124 | 9 | 27 | 215 | 0 | 10 |
| 48 | 2013 | LeVeon Bell, Pitt. | 860 | 8 | 45 | 399 | 0 | 15 |
| 53 | 2019 | Miles Sanders, Phil. | 818 | 3 | 50 | 509 | 3 | 15 |
| 58 | 2001 | Travis Henry, Buff. | 729 | 4 | 22 | 179 | 0 | 30 |
| 43 | 2004 | Julius Jones, Dall. | 819 | 7 | 17 | 109 | 0 | 31 |
| 53 | 2009 | LeSean McCoy, Phil. | 637 | 4 | 40 | 308 | 0 | 32 |
| 43 | 2018 | Kerryon Johnson, Det. | 641 | 3 | 32 | 213 | 1 | 33 |
| 48 | 2017 | Joe Mixon, Cin. | 626 | 4 | 30 | 287 | 0 | 33 |
| 58 | 2013 | Montee Ball, Den. | 559 | 4 | 20 | 145 | 0 | 43 |
| 54 | 2015 | Ameer Abdullah, Det. | 597 | 2 | 25 | 183 | 1 | 44 |
| 54 | 2014 | Bishop Sankey, Ten. | 569 | 2 | 18 | 133 | 0 | 44 |
| 45 | 2016 | Derrick Henry, Ten. | 490 | 5 | 13 | 137 | 0 | 45 |
| 55 | 2008 | Ray Rice, Balt. | 454 | 0 | 33 | 273 | 0 | 49 |
| 44 | 2005 | J.J. Arrington, Ariz. | 370 | 2 | 25 | 139 | 0 | 53 |
| 52 | 2007 | Brian Leonard, St.L. | 303 | 0 | 30 | 183 | 0 | 56 |
| 51 | 2010 | Toby Gerhart, Min. | 322 | 1 | 21 | 167 | 0 | 58 |
| 57 | 2014 | Carlos Hyde, S.F. | 333 | 4 | 12 | 68 | 0 | 61 |
| 56 | 2002 | Ladell Betts, Was. | 307 | 1 | 12 | 154 | 0 | 62 |
| 41 | 2004 | Tatum Bell, Den. | 396 | 3 | 5 | 80 | 0 | 63 |
| 41 | 2017 | Dalvin Cook, Min. | 354 | 2 | 11 | 90 | 0 | 72 |
| 45 | 2006 | LenDale White, Ten. | 244 | 0 | 14 | 60 | 0 | 72 |
| 49 | 2001 | LaMont Jordan, NYJ | 292 | 1 | 7 | 44 | 1 | 72 |
| 55 | 2004 | Greg Jones, Jac. | 162 | 3 | 3 | 13 | 0 | 83 |
| 54 | 2002 | Maurice Morris, Sea. | 153 | 0 | 3 | 25 | 0 | 95 |
| 56 | 2011 | Shane Vereen, N.E. | 57 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 123 |
| 50 | 2012 | Isaiah Pead, St.L. | 54 | 0 | 3 | 16 | 0 | 130 |
| 49 | 2007 | Kenny Irons, Cin. | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -- |
| 50 | 2007 | Chris Henry, Ten. | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -- |
| 54 | 2005 | Eric Shelton, Car. | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -- |
| 57 | 2011 | Mikel Leshoure, Det. | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -- |
| 58 | 2010 | Ben Tate, Hou. | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -- |
| 59 | 2018 | Derrius Guice, Was. | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -- |
| 59 | 2010 | Montario Hardesty, Cle. | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -- |
About one-fifth (7) of those running backs got injured in the preseason and spent their entire rookie seasons on IR. Stuff happens in practice all the time, but Akers has a reduced risk of that outcome -- indeed, a zero percent chance of getting hurt in an exhibition game in 2020. Silver linings, people.
There's Clyde Edwards-Helaire and then there's every other rookie running back. If you're drafting today, move Akers to the top of that every-other list.
--Andy Richardson