With Woods out, Reynolds makes surprise impact for Rams against Saints

When it comes to the players stepping up for the Los Angeles Rams in the passing game in Week 12, rookie Josh Reynolds ended up making a surprise impact.

Entering last offseason, the Los Angeles Rams realized the importance of adding more playmakers for Jared Goff to work with in the passing game after the team ranked dead last in 2016 by only averaging 14 points per game. And while Cooper Kupp was the one name that stood out the most for the Rams in April’s NFL Draft, another rookie that drew plenty of excitement was former Texas A&M standout Josh Reynolds.

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Prior to the draft, Reynolds was one of the receivers Los Angeles had their eye on, and when he was still available in the fourth round, Sean McVay and company knew they had to use one of their picks on the wideout. One of the main reasons why the Rams were so interested in Reynolds was due to the fact that he caught 164 passes for 2,788 yards to go along with 30 touchdowns in a three-year span with the Aggies. And with Robert Woods dealing with a shoulder injury, Sunday was the perfect opportunity for Reynolds to finally make an impact on offense, which he took full advantage of against the New Orleans Saints.

Not only did Reynolds haul in his first career NFL touchdown against a banged-up defense of the Saints in Week 12, but the rookie caught four of six passes thrown in his direction from Goff for 37 yards. For a player that only had one catch to date for 28 yards heading into Sunday, Reynolds has every reason in the world to be thrilled over the opportunity he received against New Orleans to help keep Los Angeles on top of the NFC West over the Seattle Seahawks.

Unfortunately for Reynolds, it’s been tough to see significant playing time on the field when looking at how crowded the current roster is at the wide receiver position. But with Woods expected to miss a few weeks while recovering from his shoulder injury, maybe Sunday’s performance against the Saints was just what Reynolds needed to earn additional playing time moving forward to continue proving to the Rams he was worth the risk back in April.