The Los Angeles Rams had the top offense in the NFL during the 2025 regular season, including the seventh-ranked rushing attack led by Kyren Williams and Blake Corum. Still, the Rams see the value a player like Dean Connors can bring to an offense.
Connors enters the NFL after amassing 2,656 career yards and 22 touchdowns on 480 attempts, while adding another 1,166 yards and 9 TDs on 147 receptions in four FBS seasons.
That is 3,822 yards from scrimmage and 31 touchdowns on 654 career touches.
Rams Add Versatile RB Dean Connors After 2026 Draft
GettyDean Connors brings a versatile skill set to the Los Angeles Rams.
Connors was the only running back among the Rams’ slew of rookie free agent signings after the 2026 draft concluded. They did not draft a running back either, which would seem to bolster his chances of earning a spot on the roster or, most likely, the practice squad.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein called Connors a “Good tester with average size and steady production” during the final three seasons of his college tenure.
“Connors typically gains what is blocked for him, but he can be indecisive without a clear entry point and lacks above-average elusiveness in space,” Zierlein wrote in his pre-draft profile. “Connors has decent burst once he hits the gas and builds to top speed quickly to eliminate tackle angles toward the perimeter. His receiving totals are primarily a function of leak-out catches and swing passes. Connors is steady and reliable but will need to carve out a clearly defined role to stick on an NFL roster.”
Connors is listed at 5-foot-11 and 206 pounds.
A native of Kamulea, Hawaii, Connors began his collegiate career at Riverside Community College before transferring to Rice for three seasons (2022-2024) and then Houston for his final campaign in 2025.
Williams and Corum combined for 1,998 yards and 16 TDs on 404 carries during the 2025 regular season, posting a 44-217-3 line as pass-catchers out of the backfield.
Connors’ skill set should fit what the Rams do well, assuming he makes the cut.
The Rams were one game away from the Super Bowl last season, and their roster reflects that. It will be difficult for plenty of non-starters to make the final 53-man cut, but Connors faces a particularly daunting task in the Rams’ backfield.
Rams Boast Deep RB Room
GettyRonnie Rivers #20 and Blake Corum #22 of the Los Angeles Rams warm up before a game against the Arizona Cardinals.
The Rams’ RB room features Corum behind Williams, but it also includes 2025 fourth-round draft pick Jarquez Hunter. Seldom used as a rookie–he played in three games and did not record a snap on offense–Hunter still likely sits ahead of Connors on the Rams’ depth chart.
The Rams’ running back room also includes former undrafted free agents Jordan Waters and Ronnie Rivers, though both are on minimum contracts. That means the Rams can easily move on.
Waters has yet to appear in a regular-season game, but Rivers has 295 yards on 72 carries.
Rivers, who has been with the Rams since 2022, has also shown something in the passing game with 15 catches for 85 yards. However, his primary duties so far in his career have been as a special teamer in various phases.
Connors appears most likely to challenge Rivers for a spot on the Rams’ roster or practice squad, with the upcoming rookie minicamp being his first opportunity to make an impression.
The Rams’ backfield has added another versatile playmaker in Connors.
Rams Lock In 3,800-Yard Running Back Behind Kyren Williams, Blake Corum