The Los Angeles Rams drafted running back Kyren Williams out of Notre Dame because he did the little things well. He wasn’t going to consistently earn them chunk plays and he may not have been dynamic enough to hand a starting job to, but he’d hit the holes he was supposed to and do his job in pass protection.
Williams saw just 35 rushing attempts in his rookie season – one that was hampered by foot surgery and an ankle sprain, rendering him an afterthought to those outside of the building. Late-round running backs who don’t produce in their rookie years aren’t exactly hot commodities.
Yet, Williams’ willingness to do the dirty work, and his effectiveness in doing so, earned him the trust of head coach Sean McVay. In his second season, it was clear that the relationship was helping him push for snaps. Incumbent starter Cam Akers was dealt soon after, clearing the path for Williams.
Los Angeles wouldn’t regret it.
Williams would turn in a Pro Bowl-caliber season and helped fuel one of the league’s most feared offenses. At the all-star event, he spoke about the ascension so few saw coming.
“I would say I expected it because all I wanted coming into this year was a chance,” Williams said. “And I knew if I got a chance that I was gonna do what I do. I knew that I was this type of player and I just needed a chance to show it.”
Williams turned his chance into one of the most impressive campaigns of the 2023 season.
He would miss four games due to injury and another due to rest in Week 18. He still turned in 228 attempts for 1,144 yards and 12 rushing touchdowns. He would add another 206 yards and three scores through the air.
No running back averaged more yards per game, helping land a Second-Team All-Pro selection that was as justified as it was surprising considering his status before Week 1.
“And coach McVay gave that shot and put his confidence into me,” Williams said. “And as a player it allowed me to feel good and just be who I am.”
Just who he is happens to be an excellent NFL running back. Among the 44 ball carriers with at least 100 carries, no one averaged more expected points added per rush than Williams. He created big plays more than anyone saw coming while retaining the traits that put him on the field in the first place.
That’s a recipe for success, and in McVay’s offense, it means touches will come in bunches. Williams is no longer anonymous, and with the performance to justify the confidence he’s had all along, there’s little reason to expect anything less than a stellar season in 2024.
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