2025 NFL Draft Review Part Three: Jarquez Hunter

Introduction 

We’ve now looked at the Rams’ first two picks of the draft where they went tight end and edge rusher by trading back out of the first round and then sticking and picking in the third. It was at this point in the draft where Les Snead and the Rams went back to their old mantra about draft picks that we all know and love. They suddenly became aggressive in their draft strategy and traded up for their next three picks, beginning with a trade up from 127 to 117 in the fourth round. 

The Rams had previously attempted to move up for a player that they liked but for a number of reasons, they hadn’t been able to finalise a deal. This time they managed to agree to terms with the Indianapolis Colts to trade picks 127 and 190 for pick 117. This seems like a pretty even trade to move up 10 spots, especially as the Rams had four picks in between 190 and 202.

With the 117th pick of the draft, the Rams selected running back out of Auburn, Jarquez Hunter. More about him in a minute, but in terms of trade up value, it was a little bit of a reach. PFF had Hunter ranked as the 133rd player on their big board so while it wasn’t that much of a difference, they projected him to go after the Rams’ original pick at 127. That being said, the Rams clearly loved Hunter in the pre-draft process and has the traits of a running back that the Rams desperately needed to add to that room, so all in all, I liked the trade up for Hunter.

Trade up grade: A

Rams select Hunter with pick 117

As I said, the Rams clearly loved Hunter, so much so that they had three separate meetings with the 22 year old throughout the pre-draft process. This should come as no surprise as he fits the mould that the Rams look for in running backs perfectly. At 5”9 and 204lbs, he has an incredibly similar build to almost all of the current Rams RBs including Kyren Williams and Blake Corum. While this may be a little worrying to read as it seems as though the Rams running back room is already fairly one dimensional, Hunter offers something a little different to the rest of the backs.

The Auburn running back possesses a level of breakaway speed that is lacking in the other Rams’ backs. At the combine, Hunter ran a 4.44 40-yard dash in comparison to 4.65 and 4.53 for Williams and Corum respectively, which proves his upside as a potential home run hitting back. In his final year at college, he managed to produce an explosive run (10+ yard gain) on 18.9% of his carries which ranked second in the FBS. For a room that was so clearly lacking an explosive threat out of the backfield, this was something that the Rams had to tackle, and they certainly did that with the acquisition of Hunter.

However, he is more than just a speedy back who can efficiently churn out first downs or touchdowns – something he did on 36.6% of his carries in 2024. He’s incredibly tough and has impressive power, mostly in his lower body. There is a video online showing Hunter squatting 600lbs without much of a struggle and he even said that he could’ve gone higher if it wasn’t for his conditioning coach telling him to stop there.To be able to squat that amount at just 5”9 is quite simply insane and outlines the power that he has in his lower body which helps keep his legs churning to create yards after contact.

Hunter ranked 4th in both yards per carry (6.5) and yards after contact per rush (4.1) in college football last year which clearly indicates that he can pair his speed with power and create extra yards through contact as well as breaking away at speed.

Despite those impressive stats, he could work on his elusiveness. I know that may sound strange after the stats you’ve just read, but he often relies on his power too much especially in open space. When he comes up against a defender one on one, he knows that he has the power to overwhelm them so tries to run directly through them with a truck or stiff arm. This may get him some extra yards, but it’s clear to see that he does have the agility and speed in order to make moves and avoid defenders completely in open space which could lead to more home-run hitting runs and long touchdowns. If he can learn from the shiftiness of Williams and Corum, Hunter may have the potential to garner plenty of snaps early in his NFL career.

Hunter also has a lot of early potential to contribute on special teams which will help solidify his place on the roster early on while he gains experience and enhances his skills around NFL calibre players and coaches. At Auburn, he operated as their kick returner in 2021 and 2022 which helps offer depth behind the likes of Xavier Smith, Jordan Whittington and now Britain Covey who the Rams recently signed to a one-year deal. Covey was the leader in punt return yards in 2023 for the Eagles after coming into the league as an undrafted free agent, so he is definitely worth a punt. Pun intended.

Hunter himself though will most likely offer a better option as a gunner or in coverage on special teams. He has a great work ethic, always giving his all wherever he is needed so his blend of speed and power are used to great effect in all special teams scenarios. A fiery competitiveness means that he will never give up on any play no matter where he finds himself and will always do his absolute best to make an impact on the game for the good of his team.

Finally, I feel like I’m repeating myself with these draft picks, and I will probably repeat myself again with the other prospects that I look at, but he is such a likeable character while also maintaining his toughness and competitiveness which is exactly what the Rams have looked for in their draftees recently.

Something that you may have noticed about Hunter if you watched any of his film is that he doesn’t wear gloves. Nowadays, it’s a rare sight to see a running back without any gloves on, but Hunter likes to feel the football directly in his hands, as if he was playing football in his garden or local park as a kid. He comes from a small town in Mississippi with just 7,000 people and has not been shy about talking about his youth, growing up in the country. 

He has a strong passion about horse riding and hunting, and even studied in Natural Resource Management for his degree at Auburn. Coming from a smaller town has also kept Hunter humble, as opportunities were hard to come by when it came to football. You can tell that Hunter is just a great person to have in the locker room, matching a pure love for the game of football with a humble personality and an impressive toughness and competitiveness that rears its head when he steps out on to the football field. To find a person like that who is also a great football player that can add a new dynamic to your football team is a great addition in the fourth round of the draft for the Rams.

Draft pick grade: A

Conclusion:

The fit between the Rams and Hunter is one that is undeniably a match made in heaven. He fits the perfect mould that Sean McVay and the Rams look for in their running backs, and he helps add another great character to the locker room. A dynamic, speedy back was exactly what the Rams needed to add to their RB room, and they certainly ticked that box with Jarquez Hunter.

However, knowing Sean McVay and the Rams as an organisation, the likelihood of Hunter making an instant impact may be a little slimmer than people imagine. Take Blake Corum last year, he carried the ball just 58 times compared to Kyren Williams’ 316 rushes. The Rams have preferred to ease rookies in to more snaps rather than rely on them a whole lot straight away, especially when there are capable players ahead of them in the depth chart. Therefore, Hunter may have to be patient and make an impression in practice and preseason if he is to have an impact in his rookie season.

In the long term, it will be interesting to see how the Rams navigate the RB room with the addition of Hunter. Kyren Williams is in his final year of his contract and set for an extension, and even Les Snead and Sean McVay spoke openly about wanting to get a deal done, but the price they’re willing to pay may have dropped a little now. The Rams have very rarely paid running backs ever since Todd Gurley was still earning money from them about 4 years after he had left the team, so I’d be surprised if the Rams didn’t at least wait until later in the season to see the potential that Hunter and Corum have to take over the backfield for the Rams’ offense.

Either way, this pick excites me with the potential for added juice and explosive runs to a running back room that lacked a bit of both last season.