CBS Sports Tabs Former Auburn RB as Potential Rookie Sleeper for Rams

The 2025 NFL Draft was considered deep at running back, and the LA Rams may have gotten a steal in former Auburn Tigers standout Jarquez Hunter.

The LA Rams selected former Auburn Tigers running back Jarquez Hunter in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports released his list of 2025 rookies that could earn meaningful roles, and the rookie Trapasso selected for the Los Angeles Rams should come as no surprise to the Auburn faithful: former first-team All-SEC running back and Tigers standout Jarquez Hunter.

Hunter was drafted by the Rams in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft at pick No. 117. He joins a backfield in Los Angeles where he’ll have an opportunity to compete for touches. The duo of fourth-year player Kyren Williams and second-year back Blake Corum. Williams carried the load for the Rams last season with 316 rushes, but Corum only had 58 carries.

According to Trapasso, the Auburn product fits the offense of Rams head coach Sean McVay almost perfectly.

“A compact, elusive runner who starred in all four seasons in the SEC, Hunter is the exact type of slasher head coach Sean McVay has traditionally loved in his zone-based scheme,” Trapasso wrote on CBS Sports.

Over his four-year career at Auburn, Hunter averaged 6.3 yards per carry in 50 career games. However, he surpassed that mark in three of his four seasons, including 1,201 yards on 187 carries (6.4 ypc) last year that earned him a First-Team All-SEC nod. 

As far as Hunter’s future backfield running mates, Williams has been productive for Los Angeles each of the last two seasons. He rushed for more than 1,100 yards twice and averaged 5.0 and 4.1 yards per carry in those seasons, respectively. 

However, the Notre Dame product has also struggled with injuries in his time in the league, missing five or more games in each of his first two seasons because of ankle sprains. 

Though make no mistake, Williams is the top back for McVay and the Rams. So, naturally Los Angeles would acquire a back that reminded them of their young standout. 

“After thoroughly examining Hunter's film, advanced statistics at Auburn, and combine workout, I felt I had no other choice but to compare him to Kyren Williams,” Trapasso wrote.

So then, where could Hunter find carries if Los Angeles has the starting job locked down? The answer resides in the backup spot in the form of Corum. The former Michigan Wolverine has been less than impressive for the Rams so far, averaging just 3.6 yards per carry in his rookie season. He rushed for a total of 207 yards in 2024 and was unable to find the end zone. 

Corum’s slow start and injury history, combined with Hunter’s ideal scheme fit, mean the Tigers’ 4th-leading rusher all-time should be able to see the field semi-consistently for the Rams early in the year, possibly even taking the second position on the running back depth chart by season’s end.

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