LA Rams LB Micah Kiser deserves a shot at redemption

LA Rams LB Micah Kiser’s 2019 injury derailed plans to start him next to Cory Littleton. A year later, Kiser deserves a shot at redemption

The LA Rams are searching for starters for the 2020 season, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. With as many as six starters from the defense departing this off-season, the Rams need to fill the starting roles early. Then, as the draft develops, add depth to wherever the board allows. So where can the Rams find players worthy of a starting role? Well, one such starter is already on the roster and was on his way to starting at inside linebacker before his season ended due to injury.  He is Micah Kiser, and he awaits his shot at redemption.

Kiser is a 6-foot-0, 244-pound inside linebacker for the LA Rams.  He was selected in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL Draft from the Virginia Cavaliers. Although scouts gave him an excellent grade on run defense and tackling, he did not score highly on pass defense.  Still, he heard his name called in the NFL Draft.

Much like Kenny Young did after arriving from the Baltimore Ravens in 2019, Kiser saw exclusively action on special teams’ play in 2018. That seemed to change in 2019, as he found himself on the starting unit in practices and in preseason games. But a preseason injury to his pectoral muscle ended his 2019 season before it ever began. He suffered the tear in the first half of the team’s second preseason game. Now, he returns for his third NFL season eager to pick up where he left off.

Kiser is a solid compliment to play alongside Young in the interior of the Rams defense.  While Young is the faster of the two – the lightning – Kiser is stronger and hits like a ton of bricks – the thunder. Both are adept at blitzing the quarterback, and both bring solid reasons why they should be given strong consideration as the starting tandem inside linebackers for the Rams in 2020.

He may not be the splash move some seek this offseason, nor the big draft selection, but he’s solid and is undervalued on the Rams’ defense. He knows enough to be familiar with his teammates, but he’s still new enough on defense to adapt to new DC Brandon Staley’s assignments easily.

He hasn’t earned the trust of fans just yet, because he has not been given a chance to prove to anyone that he deserves the chance to start. In 2020, he not only deserves a shot at a starting role at inside linebacker, but he deserves a shot at redemption as well.