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Rams Trade Up For Auburn Running Back Jarquez Hunter

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Alec Musa | Last updated Apr 26, 2025 2:21 PM ET

For the first time since 2012, Auburn football did not have a player selected in the first three rounds of the NFL Draft. However, on Saturday, ESPN's Field Yates disclosed during the channel's early draft coverage that the Los Angeles Rams traded high-end draft capital to secure the 117th pick, indicating they were "big" on a player still available.

The Rams parted ways with the 127th and 190th pick to select former Auburn Tigers bruising running back Jarquez Hunter midway through the fourth round.

Yates further revealed that Hunter was high on the Rams' big board, potentially suggesting that the former Tiger will play an immediate impact role.

In 2024, Hunter led the SEC with 6.4 yards per rush and finished the season with 1,201 yards and eight touchdowns. He also caught 21 passes for 155 yards and one touchdown. His best game came against Kentucky, with the five-foot-ten bruiser rushing for 278 yards and two scores.

A three-star recruit in the class of 2021 per 247Sports, Hunter tallied nearly 600 rushing yards as a true freshman in the SEC. As a sophomore, Hunter had 668 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on 104 carries. Following the departure of Tank Bigsby in 2023, Hunter posted 909 yards and seven touchdowns.

Hunter finished his four-year college career at Auburn in the top ten in terms of rushing yards and touchdowns. He joins Bo Jackson, Cadillac Williams, James Brooks, Ben Tate, and Joe Cribbs as the only Auburn football players to eclipse 3,000 rushing yards in a career.

Hunter enters a Los Angeles Rams running back room led by former second-team All-Pro Kyren Williams. Hunter figures to slot behind Williams while fighting with 2024 third-round pick Blake Corum for playing time.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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