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Cam Akers and early season praise have surfaced before on the eve of NFL training camp. There have been analysts like Adam Schein and fantasy football experts who have ranked the Los Angeles Rams running back highly before.
But this time Akers still found a way to generate top-10 praise — following an up-and-down 2022 season that saw him briefly leave the team due to personal issues, only to finish out with three straight 100-yard games. The 2020 second-rounder cracked the top 10 of one list comprised by CBS Sports on Thursday, July 20.
Cam Akers Nearly Cracks Top 5
Zachary Pereles of CBS Sports unveiled the outlet’s list of “50 under-the-radar who could shape up the 2023 season” and placed the fourth-year Rams back at No. 6 overall.
Among running backs, Akers falls behind Damien Harris who is entering his first season with the Buffalo Bills. And Akers’ presence, Pereles writes, comes in handy for a Rams team enduring a roster transition from their title-winning team from two seasons ago.
“The Rams are in a strange place with few remainders of the 2021 title team — Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp and Aaron Donald chief among them — but with a roster full of rookies and other unproven youngsters. Akers falls somewhere in between,” Pereles said.
Still, Akers had a prominent role with the Rams even before the team went on the franchise’s second Vince Lombardi Trophy-winning run.
“He was the Rams’ feature back during their Super Bowl run and then was on the trading block eight months later,” Pereles said. “There’s clear talent. He had three straight games of over 100 rushing yards to close last year. The Rams need that talent on display on a consistent basis.”
Cam Akers Walking Into RB Room With New & Familiar Faces
Akers is heading to UC Irvine’s Crawford Field during the week of July 24 as the clear-cut No. 1 backfield option. Rightfully so considering how he not only provided a late spark toward the end of 2022 but has re-won the confidence of head coach Sean McVay.
Akers, however, is entering what is anticipated to be a more competitive running back room featuring its share of new faces for camp as well as a familiar face.
The latter is Sony Michel, brought back after one year away from the Rams. But this time, Michel will be running through drills next to Akers unlike in 2021 — when the Super Bowl winner from the Patriots was brought in because of Akers’ devastating Achilles injury. The two didn’t officially share backfield duties until Akers was cleared for the 2021 season Wild Card romp of the Arizona Cardinals. Now, both will be in camp together.
But there are new camp faces — including one who was with the Rams in 2022. Zach Evans will experience his first NFL camp after getting drafted in the sixth round out of Ole Miss. Even 2022 undrafted rookie Ronnie Rivers is witnessing his first Rams camp. Rivers originally had stints with the Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks before being added during the regular season via the waiver wire.
The last returning face from last season is Kyren Williams, who is anticipated to compete with Michel for the role of RB2 opposite of Akers. Akers, also, is entering the final year of his rookie deal and is set to become an unrestricted free agent for 2024. But he has a chance to strengthen his future starting with a big camp season, with the potential to also pick up where he left off in 2022.
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