Rams could use this late-round RB that compares to Austin Ekeler

Former SEC rushing leader and Mizzou walk-on, Cody Schrader, looks to prove himself in the NFL

The Los Angeles Rams spent the offseason beefing up along the interior of their offensive line and are doubling down on a gap-based rushing attack with head coach Sean McVay pulling the strings. Kyren Williams, even in an injury-abbreviated season, was arguably the best running back in the NFL not named Christian McCaffrey and is primed for a successful 2024 campaign. That’s not to say that the Rams don’t need help at running back or insurance for Williams—and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them take a RB in the later rounds of this month’s NFL Draft.

The Athletic’s Dane Brugler projects Missouri RB Cody Schrader as a fifth to sixth round pick. Schrader was an unheralded recruit coming out of high school and ended up at Division II Truman State where he played for four seasons before transferring to Mizzou as a walk-on. He led the Tigers in rushing in 2022 and then all of the SEC in the same in 2023. He became the first player in SEC history to record 200 rushing yards and 100 receiving yards in the same game, according to Bruger’s The Beast draft guide.

When I watch Schrader play I see a familiar, dual threat style—that of Los Angeles Chargers and now-Washington Commanders RB Austin Ekeler. SteelersDepot also mentioned Ekeler in their profile on Schrader, and it’s all over X: here, here, here, and here for example. Like Schrader, Ekeler was not recruited by Division I schools. He ended up at Western Colorado because they were the only school that wouldn’t have forced him to switch to defense from running back. Ekeler accumulated 5,857 rushing yards (6.2 per carry), 1,315 receiving yards, and 63 total touchdowns over four seasons.

Schrader: 5-8, 202 lbs.

Ekeler: 5-8, 200 lbs.

Now, Schrader didn’t have the same production in the passing game that Ekeler had; however, it’s fair to wonder if that was a result of what Missouri was asking him to do as a receiver. In this spring’s Senior Bowl, Schrader showed he is capable of contribution through the air with five receptions for 54 yards as opposed to only seven rushes for 16 yards on the ground.

But we can’t only talk about strengths, we also have to discuss where Schrader falls short as a prospect—and there are reasons why he’s projected to go in the later rounds of the draft.

A 4.61 40-yard dash isn’t awful at the running back position for guys with bigger frames (that Schrader doesn’t have); however, his lack of speed also shows up on tape and there are times where you see him tracked down or tackled from behind. Long, explosive runs are what separate the good from the elite RB’s at the NFL level, and Schrader probably tops out at a rotational but useful running back simply because of his athletic limitations. He was also not asked to do much in pass protection at Missouri, but nearly all young running backs have a learning curve in that facet as they transition to the professional game.

If the Rams are looking for a capable running back available in the later rounds of this spring’s draft as insurance for Kyren Williams, Mizzou’s Cody Schrader seems like he’ll be a useful player and could compare to someone like Austin Ekeler.