Why one analyst thinks Cam Akers has 'more upside than Darrell Henderson'
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theramswire.usatoday.com]
Cameron DaSilva
The Los Angeles Rams took their first major step toward replacing Todd Gurley when they selected Cam Akers at No. 52 overall in this year’s draft. This move came after the majority of fans expected Darrell Henderson to take over as the lead back in Los Angeles.
That doesn’t seem to be the case anymore. Henderson, a 2019 third-round pick, will likely be supplanted by Akers atop the Rams depth chart. There’s still plenty to be determined and Henderson has a leg-up on Akers in experience – especially in an offseason where practice time will be hard to come by – so perhaps the second-year back can hold off the rookie.
But long-term, Akers seems to be the preferred option for the Rams. ESPN’s Matt Bowen sees it that way, feeling as though Akers has more potential than Henderson does.
In a recent piece detailing 10 rookies “who landed with the perfect teams,” Akers was one of them. Bowen wrote that Akers’ balance and acceleration make him a great fit in L.A.
Bowen also said Akers has “more upside than Darrell Henderson” as an NFL back.
He’s a fit here as a zone runner, with the contact balance, quick acceleration and the patience to find slices of daylight. Press the edge or bend that ball back. That’s going to be extremely important if L.A. wants to get back to the playoffs.
Akers can give the Rams production as a receiver, too. Set him up on screens, hit him in the flat off boot concepts or simply check it down. He has the open-field vision and enough shake to beat defenders in space, and he will take on blitzers in pass protection. He has more upside than Darrell Henderson, whom the Rams picked in the third round in 2019.
This shouldn’t come as a huge surprise. Akers is better suited for a workhorse role than Henderson is, not only because of his size, but also thanks to his experience in such a spot. At Florida State, Akers was the No. 1 tailback for three years. Henderson, on the other hand, only spent one such season in that role.
This isn’t to discount Henderson’s potential and talent as a running back. He’s a great fit in the Rams’ outside zone scheme, which is very similar to what Memphis utilized when Henderson was there. He’s also a very capable receiver, topping 226 yards receiving in each of his three seasons at Memphis.
But Akers has experience running against stacked boxes, and was successful, at that. Les Snead recognized that when evaluating Akers, and it was a big factor in the Rams drafting him in the second round.
As for which running back will have a bigger impact in 2020, that remains a mystery. Pro Football Focus projects Akers to rush for 895 yards and six touchdowns as a rookie next season, which is about on par with Mike Clay’s projection at ESPN. Clay’s estimated stat line for Akers is 172 carries for 719 yards and seven touchdowns.
The battle between Akers and Henderson will be fun to watch in training camp, whenever that may be.
