Future Is Bright For Rams Pass Rushers

We’ve done quite a bit of talking about Rams defensive ends Robert Quinn and Chris Long here, but we aren’t the only ones who are excited about the future. ESPN’s Matt Williamson recently ranked the projected top pass rushers for 2015, and the Rams dynamic duo both made the top six. Quinn checked in at number four, while Long was named number six.

The top three on the list were Jason Pierre-Paul, Aldon Smith and Von Miller, so that’s pretty good company. Here is what Williamson had to say about each player.

Quinn: Choosing the top three pass-rushers on this list was easy to do. As it stands, there is a drop-off from Pierre-Paul, Smith and Miller to Quinn. But that is just because we haven’t seen as much from Quinn, who has a chance to be a special player while showing impressive flashes during his rookie season. His adjustment to the NFL was more difficult than that of most rookies due to the lockout and the time he missed during his final season at North Carolina. But he is an extremely explosive player with terrific pass-rush potential. Amazingly, Quinn will be only 25 when the 2015 season begins.

Long: The 27-year-old Long erupted in 2011 and has begun to live up to his father’s tremendous legacy. He has never missed a game over his four-year career, and Long’s sack numbers have improved every season, culminating in 13 sacks last year. A much better athlete than he is often given credit for, the former second overall pick is a sound technique player and shows exceptional effort.

I think his assessment of Long is right on, and I loved what he had to say about Quinn. I’ve been saying ever since we drafted him that he is special, so let’s hope this all plays out and Quinn turns out to be as good as many people are starting to expect.