LA Rams 2020 secondary takes on North America big game personalities

Dall Ram

The word “Dall” means gifted or famous. And that’s a pretty fair place to start when considering the LA Rams third defensive back, safety Taylor Rapp. Rapp earned ten starts in 2019, despite that being his rookie season. It was, however, the expected result when the LA Rams used their first pick of the 2019 NFL Draft to select him from the University of Washington.

More from Ramblin' Fan

• NFL Trade Rumors: Would Rams trade for Jonathon Taylor?
• Look for 49ers players to follow DeMeco Ryans to Texans
• Ryans to the Texans, will Rams Raheem Morris be next?
• Broncos mimic LA Rams, go All-In pairing Payton with Russell
• Need a new Los Angeles Rams hat for less than $10?

Rapp is just the latest defensive back prospect to study under the collegiate mastery of the position, Washington head coach Jimmy Lake.  Of course, the Washington Huskies made headlines when CB Sidney Jones, CB Kevin King, and S Budda Baker were all selected in round two of the 2017 NFL Draft.  Taylor Rapp is one more apprentice of Lake who has excelled in the NFL.

Rapp possesses some of both qualities. Gifted in that he has stepped up and made a huge positive impact for the Rams in his rookie season, and famous in that he is already one of the most recognizable names on that Rams defense. But he’ll need to do more in 2020. Without the venerable Eric Weddle, Rapp will need to decypher offenses more quickly this season and anticipate runs from passes, deep routes from crossing routes, and blockers from route runners.

Rapp is similar to Dall sheep in that he flourishes, and can stand out easily in a game, but can also seem to disappear. Sometimes it’s just a result of the offensive plays called that do not challenge him directly. But part of that comes from his novelty to the NFL and his need for more experience to become a standout defender.