Choo choo! The train is leaving! It’s the Cam Akers show in Los Angeles and there’s no turning back. After being selected in the second round in the 2020 NFL Draft, Akers proved he’s an emerging star.
Head coach Sean McVay officially handed Akers the keys to the backfield. McVay said recently that he views the former Florida State product as an every down back.
“I thought he did a great job,” McVay said regarding Akers. “Really if it wasn’t for that setback that Cam had in the Philly game, I think that rib injury kind of set him back a little bit. You saw Darrell Henderson step up, Malcolm Brown was really consistent throughout the year, but Cam hit his stride at the right moments. You could see he’s always had a real and authentic confidence, but then as he’s getting more and more comfortable for the different ways that we were able to utilize him, I think he can come alive in the pass game. I think he can continue to play at a high level.
“Really, I think he’s an every-down back. I think he’s a special player. I think that’s a real credit to Cam, but also [running back coach] Thomas Brown’s leadership and just pouring into him day in and day out and him being receptive to that. Then you see the benefits and how much it kind of came to life towards the latter part of the season and we expect them to pick up where he left off.”
Akers, 21, is a very special player. In college, I tabbed Akers as the steal of the entire draft. His movement skills were just off the charts. As a rookie, the Rams starting tail back averaged 4.3 yards per carry on 145 attempts. That’s not including 221 rushing yards in two playoff games which stamped a promising rookie season.
From a fantasy perspective, buy all the Akers stock you can. It’s one thing to be talented and part of a high functioning offense. If the volume of touches is also in play, the fantasy potential is through the roof. We could see the shining days of Todd Gurley return like they never left.
