LOS ANGELES — Kyren Williams took his offseason as an opportunity to hone in on a specific skill set. Yes, entering his fifth season in the NFL and his fourth as the assumed-top running back on the Rams depth chart, Williams’ versatility in the backfield is something he embraces.
But entering training camp, the 25-year-old coming off his third consecutive 1,000-plus yard season focused on improving what could make him the best running back possible. Williams said that during offseason training seasons, he didn’t do receiver drills. He only focused on “training to be a running back,” primarily tending to his pad levels, his cuts and when he is cutting, sinking his body lower to the ground.
“If I cut straight up, I’m not going nowhere,” Williams said Saturday evening after training camp. My superpower is when I’m low to the ground and I have both my feet in the ground and I’m planting and I’m explosive. So, for me, I think this year differently is I really honed in on what it is being a running back. … Even if it’s a little, just jump cuts and being able to get vertical. I think that’s where I felt like I needed to get better at, and I think it’s been showing here at camp.”
Williams said it was nice to train during the offseason with drills for what he needs to do at a “high level.” Williams has proven himself as a productive tailback in the league, but the Rams running back room remains one of the best in the league thanks to the depth created by the emergence of Blake Corum last season.
Corum tripled his output from the 2024 season in 2025 with a career-best 746 rushing yards and six touchdowns. Williams said that the “sky’s the limit” for what he and Corum can accomplish under new offensive coordinator Nate Scheelhaase.
“I would say he’s a lot leaner, for sure,” Williams said of Corum. “I think he’s a lot leaner. He looks a lot more explosive, and I think the biggest thing that we both – I was just telling telling him today – the biggest thing that we both need to focus on, like I said earlier, is staying grounded when we cut.”
Second day in pads
The Rams completed their second fully-padded day of training camp at Loyola Marymount on Saturday afternoon, but they were without star edge rusher Myles Garrett for the second consecutive day. A team official told the Southern California News Group that Garrett’s absence was a scheduled off day.
When it came to the highlights during 11-on-11 action Saturday, a pair of wide receivers made impressive catches. While Puka Nacua continued to showcase his impressive evasiveness to get open, Davante Adams and rookie CJ Daniels stole the show.
Adams beat cornerback Trent McDuffie for an over-the-shoulder catch in the end zone, while rookie quarterback Ty Simpson threaded the needle between a pair of cornerbacks to find Daniels in the end zone.
“They both show up each and every single day ready to work, and I’ve only seen great things from them,” Williams said of the rookie duo. “Ty had a great pass in the end zone that layered over the top of two people and scored a touchdown. CJ’s been doing his thing since we’ve been here. I’m super excited for those guys. I’m excited for their future not only with the Rams, but just the future in their journey in the NFL, and excited to see where it goes.”
In an interview with SCNG on Wednesday, Daniels noted a moment during 11-on-11 drills where quarterback Matthew Stafford took him aside to explain to him where he could have made a “better” play with his split and assignment. The sixth-round draft pick said that it’s “surreal” to be on the field with players like Stafford, Nacua and Adams, and that’s it’s something he is getting accustomed and adjusted to every day.
“(I’m) really just trying to take everything in,” Daniels said. “(Stafford is) one of the greats. I definitely got my ears open for him.”