Darrell Henderson Jr. is penciled in as the Rams’ starting running back after Cam Akers tore his Achilles before training camp. That much we know.
What isn’t as clear is who will back up Henderson.
The Rams have Xavier Jones, Jake Funk, Raymond Calais and Otis Anderson on the 90-man roster right now, but they’ve combined to play zero offensive snaps in their NFL careers. So needless to say, there isn’t much experience at running back behind Henderson.
Jones is the favorite to back him up after sticking with the Rams last season as an undrafted rookie. He’s getting more work in camp this year due to Akers’ absence and though it’s early, Sean McVay is encouraged by what he’s seen from Jones, as well as the Rams’ other backup running backs.
“They’ve done a good job,” McVay said Monday. “I’ve really be encouraged with what I’ve seen from Xavier. I think when you look at Jake Funk, he’s shown good maturity. Calais had a couple of nice runs out here today. Otis Anderson is a guy that, he’s got some skills. He’s just getting comfortable. We kind of brought him in after the offseason program, but I’ve been really encouraged with what I’ve seen from those guys behind Darrell up to this point.”
Jones was highly productive in college, rushing for 1,276 yards and 23 touchdowns in his senior year at SMU. He’s a talented runner with receiving ability, too, which is why McVay chose to keep him around last year.
Funk is equally talented and tested as one of the most athletic running backs in the 2021 class, but the biggest concern with him is durability. He suffered two torn ACLs in college and struggled to stay on the field, so that could make it tough for the Rams to trust him as a primary backup.
There’s a severe lack of experience at running back for the Rams right now, but there’s also reason for hope with Jones and Funk, I’m particular.
