It took until Week 12 for Akers to seize the lead role in the Rams backfield last year. After doing little with 14 carries in Week 1, the rookie took a back seat to Malcolm Brown and Darrell Henderson the next couple months, never seeing more than 10 touches or 20 offensive snaps in a game. When Akers turned nine carries into 84 yards and a TD against the 49ers in late November, coach Sean McVay finally handed him the reins and the second-round pick never looked back. A powerful runner with a three-down skill set, Akers has 4.47 speed to turn a small crease into a big gain, and he showed it last season with runs of 61, 46, 35 and 25 yards. He finished with a modest 4.3 YPC despite the quartet of long gains, but any inconsistency seemed to be hammered out by season's end, as Akers ran for 221 yards and two TDs in two playoff games. As the 2021 campaign approached, Akers was headed toward a true featured role, but a torn Achilles' that he suffered in July derailed that outcome. Read Past Outlooks