Jake
Funk.
Jake
Funk.
Maryland· 5'10"· 204 lb· 4.49s 40
"A 5'10", 204-lb Maryland back with a 9.80 RAS and two ACL surgeries behind him, whose 2020 tape was three games and 516 yards on 8.6 a carry — a Round-7 special-teams and rotational third-down projection."Pre-draft read
A compact, downhill zone-scheme back, his calling card is straight-line burst through the tackle and top-end acceleration once he clears the second wave. He runs with a low pad level and a decisive one-cut style, pressing the front side on zone concepts before planting and eating the crease downhill. His feet stay under him and hips flip cleanly, making the cutback lane a weapon. Contact balance is functional; he prefers to slice through arm tackles at speed.
On third down and in the kicking game, his hands are clean out of the backfield, and route stems on angle and swing routes are sharp. He attacks blitz pickup with proper aiming points and honest chest-to-chest contact for his frame. On coverage units, the closing speed, tackling technique, and captain-level intangibles are legitimate traits.
Schemes that deploy inside/outside zone, stretch concepts, shotgun spreads and RPOs in an up-tempo system that asks their backs to be involved in the passing game on every down.
Year 1 role as a rotational third-down back and immediate core special teams contributor, with a ceiling as an efficient, low-volume zone scheme starter.
Gap/power heavy schemes asking to run inside between the tackles or to create pile push against stacked fronts, where his contact balance will be diminished.
A scheme-specific explosive zone runner with a complete third-down repertoire and special teams experience, but with a significant medical history.
Jake Funk | Maryland 2020 Highlights
Game film cut-up of Jake Funk's Maryland tape.
"I Had One Power Five Offer." | Jake Funk
Game film cut-up of Jake Funk's Maryland tape.
Maryland Terrapins Running Back Jake Funk Official Senior Year Highlights
Game film cut-up of Jake Funk's Maryland tape.
A sixth-year collegiate running back, his projection centered on his plus athletic profile and special teams ability. Despite a collegiate career marred by two torn ACLs, he displayed impressive burst and agility at his pro day, including a 4.49-second forty-yard dash. He offered a viable third or fourth running back with established utility in passing downs and immediate contributions in the kicking game, particularly on coverage units.
His usage was limited by injury, with two full seasons lost to knee reconstruction. In 2020, he played three games, rushing for 516 yards on 60 carries before the Big Ten season ended. He was a team captain and a four-year special-teams contributor, receiving a Senior Bowl invite. His evaluation leaned heavily on a small sample of production following his second knee injury.
Evaluators were concerned about his extensive medical history, age (he turned 24 that spring), and the limited production sample, all of which capped his ceiling. Consensus had him as a late Day 3 pick or priority free agent due to these flags. He was ultimately selected in the seventh round, 233rd overall, by the Los Angeles Rams.
- 01
Efficient runner
In 2020, he rushed for 516 yards on 60 carries, averaging 8.6 yards per carry in limited action for the season.
- 02
Reliable receiving option
He shows clean hands out of the backfield with sharp route stems on angle and swing routes for his receiving skills.
- 03
Pass protection skills
He attacks blitz pickup with proper aiming points and honest chest-to-chest contact for his frame protecting the pocket.
- 04
Special teams contributor
He was a four-year special teams contributor, demonstrating closing speed and tackling technique on coverage units.
- 05
Decisive runner
He runs with a low pad level and a decisive one-cut style, pressing the front side on zone concepts and eating the crease.
- 01
Significant injury history
His collegiate career was marred by two torn ACLs on the same knee in 2018 and 2019, creating durability concerns and gaps in play.
- 02
Limited production sample
He had limited career production, with only 189 total carries across five seasons, and only 60 carries after his second knee surgery.
- 03
Advanced age for rookie
Age was a factor, as he turned 24 during his rookie training camp as a sixth-year senior, which limits his development potential.
- 04
Contact avoidance
He prefers to slice through arm tackles at speed rather than running through or finishing consistently against defenders at the point of attack.
Relative Athletic Score (Kent Lee Platte) benchmarks combine/pro-day numbers against every measured prospect at the position since 1987. 10.00 is elite; 5.00 is average.
— — — positional median (p50)
- 40 yd
- 4.49sp50
- Vertical
- 38inp50
- Broad jump
- 122inp50
- Three-cone
- 6.71sp50
- Shuttle
- 4.12sp50
- Bench
- 22repp50
| Yr | Team | G | Att | Yds | TD | Rec | RecYds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Maryland | 13 | 29 | 136 | 1 | 7 | 42 |
| 2017 | Maryland | 12 | 27 | 145 | 4 | 1 | 4 |
| 2018 | Maryland | 3 | 2 | -2 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| 2019 | Maryland | 3 | 17 | 173 | 2 | 4 | 16 |
| 2020 | Maryland | 4 | 60 | 511 | 3 | 10 | 68 |
| Career | — | 35 | 135 | 963 | 10 | 23 | 134 |
A dash means the figure is not published by a source we trust — never a zero we invented.
Undrafted Rams back who logged five seasons of rotational carries and heavy special-teams snaps behind bigger names — Funk's realistic role on the same roster.
Sixth-round back who carved out a decade-long career as a third-down and short-yardage complement on the strength of hands, pass protection and specials.
Late-add back whose NFL life is coverage teams and a game-day depth chart body when injuries force him active.
Everything above is the pre-draft evaluation. This section is what actually happened — updated year over year.
Pre-draft context. A 5'10", 204-lb sixth-year Maryland back who tested to a 9.80 RAS at his pro day (4.49 forty, 38-inch vertical, 122-inch broad, 6.71 three-cone, 4.12 short shuttle, 22 bench reps) after a college career defined by two torn ACLs on the same knee. His 2020 sample was three games and 516 yards on 60 carries (8.6 per rush) before the Big Ten shutdown ended his season. Team captain, Senior Bowl invitee, four-year core special-teams contributor. Consensus board slot was late seventh round or priority free agent, with medicals and a tiny production window capping the ceiling.
NFL fit — Los Angeles Rams. Selected 233rd overall in the seventh round by the organization, which valued the special-teams profile and pass-protection reliability behind Cam Akers and Darrell Henderson. He made the initial 53 as a rookie, appeared in nine regular-season games (mostly on coverage units), and was on the active roster for the Super Bowl LVI title run, earning a ring as a depth back and specials contributor. He was waived in the 2022 preseason cutdown, returned on the practice squad, bounced briefly to the Colts, and settled back into the Rams' practice-squad ecosystem before quietly rotating out of the league.
Retrospective. A defensible seventh-round hit relative to slot: the Rams got a Super Bowl-active depth back, a plus special-teamer and a professional locker-room voice on a rookie deal, which is exactly what the pick was underwriting. The medical file kept the touch volume near zero and the second contract never came, but for a Day-3 evaluation grounded in three games of tape and a two-knee history, cashing a championship-roster spot and a coverage-teams role is a clean outcome.