Notre Dame football: Can Kyren Williams start over Cam Akers in LA?
By Brad Weiss
The Notre Dame football program saw Kyren Williams drafted No. 164 overall by the Los Angeles Rams, but does he have a shot to start in 2022?
During his time as the feature back for the Notre Dame football team, Kyren Williams established himself as one of the premier players in the country. Posting back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons will do that, and when it came time for him to declare early for the 2022 NFL Draft, many felt he would be one of the first running backs off the board.
Remember, this is a kid who can not only run the ball, but was excellent in the passing game, and an elite blocker, everything you look for in a running back at the NFL level. However, his draft stock plummeted after the NFL Combine, and he went from a likely Day 2 pick, to someone viewed as a sixth or seventh-round selection.
With the No. 164 overall selection in the fifth round, a pick the Los Angeles Rams traded up for, Williams was a pick of the current Super Bowl champions. Now, he has to go to the next level and prove himself, something he will do for a team that many expect to be one of the best in the NFC once again next season.
But can he start?
Could Notre Dame football star Kyren Williams start as a rookie?
Cam Akers was a second-round pick of the Rams back in 2020, and after a strong rookie regular season, he exploded in the playoffs. Going into the 2021 campaign, he was expected to take his game to another level, but unfortunately for him, he tore his Achilles in the offseason, and while he was expected to miss the whole year, he returned late and for the playoffs.
Coming off an injury like that, there is no way to judge what could be in store for Akers, so Williams has a legitimate shot to earn a ton of playing time as a rookie. He also has to creep by Darrell Henderson on the depth chart but based on his skill set, and the fact the organization went up to get him, you have to think they have some kind of idea for him in 2022.
Injuries are tricky, and that could clear the way for Williams to get first-team reps this spring and summer. He has the size to play at the next level right away, but Los Angeles has a loaded running back room, so the chips will have to fall a certain way for Williams to pass the talented Akers on the depth chart.