The Los Angeles Rams got their first extended look at their running back depth in Saturday’s preseason opener, and two names stood out from the pack. 

Jarquez Hunter, the former Auburn running back, and Dean Connors, a versatile skill player out of Houston by way of Rice, both made strong impressions in a game that emphasized physicality and downhill running from the start.

Hunter operated as the starting running back on Saturday and wasted no time establishing himself. 

The Rams appeared intentional about leaning on the run game early, easing their quarterback situation into the flow of the contest. Hunter ran hard, ran physical, and brought the kind of explosive, downhill presence that set the tone for the entire offense in the opening portions of the game.

The challenge for Hunter is obvious. The Rams’ running back room features Kyren Williams and Blake Corum atop the depth chart, with Jordan Waters and veteran Ronnie Rivers also in the mix. 

If Hunter is going to carve out a role as the potential third running back, he needs to be a consistently physical football player and bring that edge every time he touches the ball. Saturday was a strong step in that direction.

Beyond just carrying the football, Hunter will need to prove himself in other areas to stick on the roster. 

Pass protection and special teams contributions are non-negotiable for a running back fighting for a roster spot behind established veterans. If he truly is the hard-nosed player he showed himself to be Saturday, those traits should translate to being a quality contributor on special teams units, which would strengthen his case to make the 53-man roster.

Dean Connors makes his case with 2 touchdown receptions

Connors was arguably the most intriguing skill player on the field Saturday. 

The former Rice running back who transferred to Houston for his final college season caught both of quarterback Ty Simpson’s fourth-quarter touchdown passes, finishing with four catches for 29 yards and two scores, on top of six carries for 22 yards as a runner. 

But the stat line only told part of the story.

What stood out about Connors was his quickness, his decisiveness, and his willingness to run the football incredibly hard as a runner and receiver. There was legitimate second-effort running from Connors throughout the game, a trait that was consistent across the entire running back room Saturday. 

His college career as an all-purpose runner at Rice and Houston translated well to the versatility the Rams asked him to display, lining up in different spots and creating mismatches.

The difficult reality for Connors is the sheer volume of competition in that room. 

With Williams, Corum, Hunter, Waters, and Rivers all vying for spots, finding space on the roster will be tough. The question becomes whether Connors showed enough in early camp and in preseason action to latch on as a priority free agent pickup, either in Los Angeles, on the practice squad, or elsewhere around the league.

Tough decisions on the horizon 

Williams and Corum are locks to make the Rams roster after combining for 2,315 total yards and 19 touchdowns a year ago. You would also believe that Hunter has the inside track after being a fourth selection in the 2025 NFL Draft. 

Rivers has managed to stick around Los Angeles for a couple of years now. While he isn’t the most dynamic athlete in that room, Rivers does the little things that make it easy to favor him. You would think he has the inside track to be the fourth running back on the roster. 

Connors, however, creates an interesting debate based on his early camp performance. His all-around game is extremely intriguing. It’ll be interesting to see whether he has created enough fans in the Rams building to stick. 

That doesn’t even count Waters, who also had a positive showing on Saturday night. This is a deep running back room with a ton of options to pick from. The reality is that there are going to be two good running backs who don’t make this team, which is, very much a rich man’s problem to have.