Pick #233 - Rams select RB Jake Funk

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Mojo Ram

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Translates to a special teamer. Has an extensive injury history it appears.
 

ljramsfan

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James Brown GIF
 

Memento

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I admittedly passed over his name. He comes from a long family of athletes, and tested extremely well at his Pro Day. He can return kicks, cover kicks, and he has third down potential. 5'10", 205 lbs.

Basically someone the Cheatriots have banked on. Hopefully we're onto something with Funk.
 

Mojo Ram

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Can he block?
That was my first question. I don't think he was asked to block very much. Pretty underwhelming pick even for a ST guy, tbh. Does he do anything well besides get dinged?

To be fair i don't know shit about what Maryland does on offense.
 

CoachAllred

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Translates to a special teamer. Has an extensive injury history it appears.

Funk’s college football career at Maryland​

Playing in 13 games as a freshman, Funk was an immediate contributor. He scored a touchdown in his debut against Howard while securing a receiving score later in the year against Purdue. However, his reputation as a late bloomer would continue into his college career, as his impact was felt more on special teams than in the ground game.

Despite rushing for 61 yards against Rutgers and finding the end zone four times, he only rushed for 145 total yards in 12 games. The Maryland running back continued to be a special teams force, earning Special Teams Player of the Year honors as a sophomore in 2017.

Having played 25 years in his first two seasons, Funk would have to overcome more than his fair share of adversity. Over the next two seasons, he played just six games, losing a significant chunk of time with two separate ACL tears.

As a result, his breakout season wouldn’t come until his senior season. The Maryland running back had just 6 carries for 35 yards in the season opener against Northwestern. Yet, he exploded in the second game, rushing for 221 yards and 1 touchdown against Minnesota. It opened the floodgates for a conference-leading 8.6 yards per carry on the year.

The phenomenal production ranked as the third-most yards per carry in program history. He averaged 129 yards per game, earning third-team All-Big Ten recognition after accumulating more yards in four games than his entire college career beforehand. After the season, he declared for the 2021 NFL Draft but remained under-the-radar until his Pro Day numbers forced evaluators to study his tape.
 

FarNorth

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Can he block?

According to ESPN-- an admittedly dubious source-- he can pass block:

Pre-Draft Analysis
Funk stood out in Maryland's win over Minnesota last year. He ran better than expected at his pro day. He's tough and runs behind his pads. He doesn't have a lot of receptions, but he looks like he's a natural pass catcher given the chance. He's a solid pass blocker. He should be a core special teams player. -- Steve Muench
 

FarNorth

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Funk’s college football career at Maryland​


After the season, he declared for the 2021 NFL Draft but remained under-the-radar until his Pro Day numbers forced evaluators to study his tape.

Funk had a pretty good Pro Day:

JAKE FUNK
RB, MARYLAND TERRAPINS

Maryland RB Jake Funk was timed between 4.43 and 4.47 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the program's Pro Day, according to Pro Football Network draft analyst Tony Pauline.

In addition to the solid 40-time, Funk (5'10"/205) also recorded 22 reps in the bench press (225 pounds), a 38-inch vertical and a broad jump of 10 feet, two inches. According to Pauline the Jets and Patriots spent an extended amount of time with Funk, who also performed well during position drills. Expected by some analysts to be an undrafted free agent, Funk has a shot at squeezing into the back end of Day 3 due to his versatility out of the backfield.
 

London59

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That was my first question. I don't think he was asked to block very much. Pretty underwhelming pick even for a ST guy, tbh. Does he do anything well besides get dinged?

To be fair i don't know shit about what Maryland does on offense.
8 yds a carry is running the ball pretty well!
 

HX76

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His Dad, golfing legend Fred, is delighted by this apparently.