Cam Akers, Florida State University
Cam Akers was taken at Pick 52 in Round 2 by the Los Angeles Rams and was the fourth running back off the board. He spent three years at Florida State University where he ran for 1,144 yards on 231 carries (5.0 yards per carry) and caught 30 passes for 225 yards with 18 total touchdowns during his last year in college.
Athletic Profile
Film Analysis
Running: Some analysts think that it’s hard to judge Akers with how bad his offensive line was at FSU, but not me. I actually believe that you can learn so much more about the key traits it takes to succeed at the NFL level when the blocking is constantly breaking down. I learned that Akers is extremely shifty and patient. The way he runs, finding the backs of his blockers while being able to accelerate and decelerate at will is reminiscent of the way Le’Veon Bell runs. At times he seemed almost too hesitant at the line, but that is something he should be able to get past when he has an offensive line that can actually block for him. He’s great at getting those extra yards with his lateral agility and showed sufficient burst when his line did block to know he can identify and then hit the hole in the NFL. He ran a 4.47 40-yard dash at the combine so his top speed isn’t game breaking by any means, but it’s still pretty good and in line with other top backs in the class outside of Jonothan Taylor. Once he gets a full head of steam, he is very difficult to bring down.
Receiving: Though his running style reminded me of Le’Veon Bell, his receiving abilities did not. He wasn’t bad at catching, but he wasn’t spectacular and nothing he showed on tape led me to believe he is a top tier receiving back. Can he be used as a weapon in the receiving game? Yes, and maybe we would have a larger sample size if he didn’t have to stay in to block so much, but from what I’ve seen he is just okay.
Pass Blocking: Just like his receiving, I found that Akers’ ability in pass protection was just okay. He was asked to block a lot of the time to make up for poor pass protection and he needs some work at the next level. He’s not a liability, but he may have to work his way up to being that reliable three-down back.
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Landing Spot Reaction
Akers heading to the City of Angels is going to make him one of the most polarizing draft picks in the first round this year. Cutting Todd opened up 223 rushing attempts and 49 targets on an offense that ranked 19th in run blocking. McVay alluded to using Henderson in a committee this year because he liked the versatility of the top running backs in this class. Akers will be part of a committee going forward, but there is an opportunity for him to outplay the 2019 third round pick. Akers should come in and take a majority of the unclaimed carries since he wasn’t the best at receiving or pass blocking. It’s a spot where he can come in and do what he does best without being asked to do anything else.
Would it be Malcolm Brown and Darrell Henderson leading the committee this year? Would Henderson take over the full workload? Neither of course are true with Akers on the team. Akers is more of an early down back so one of Brown and Henderson will be fighting for the third down role, looking to split time with Akers on early downs. It’s unfortunate for both, but my money is on Henderson winning the third down role after the Rams traded up for him last year.
Dynasty Draft Projection
Lack of receiving work will probably end up limiting Akers ceiling, but he should still be the main back. Getting the goal line work which is what you want to see as a dynasty manager. He’s still worth a first round pick in this draft and I think we’ll start seeing his average draft position settle around pick five with people being either in love or absolutely hating his landing spot.
Draft Night-Where would I take him in a dynasty draft? Did he move in my rankings?Thanks for reading and stay tuned to Dynasty Football Factory for all your NFL Draft night coverage. Follow me on Twitter @DFF_JoeMem to join in on the draft conversation!
