Forget kicker?! Who will return kicks and punts for LA Rams?

Rookies who could win return role

DB Dayan Ghanwoloku (a.k.a Dayan Lake) –  5-foot-10 205-pound undrafted cornerback Dayan Ghanwoloku is a speedster blessed with 4.41-second 40-yard speed.  And he fits the Bonamego design of a slightly bigger player who can play cornerback. That could cross off two roles with one player. He’d relied on that speed to win the battles in pass coverage, but that same speed that handicapped him in college could earn him enough time in the pro league to truly develop into a solid pass defender as well.

WR Brandon Polk – 5-foot-9 180-pound undrafted wide receiver Brandon Polk has been on the Rams radar for some time. Perhaps it’s the fact that he registered a 4.28-second 40-yard dash time. That’s .05 seconds faster than 5-foot-10 185-pound Brandin Cooks’ time. Can the Rams harness that type of speed at wide receiver? Perhaps, but you can bet that the Rams have a plan for him in both punt returns and kick returns. In fact, the Rams remained in constant contact with him until they signed him after the draft, citing both kick and punt returner duties as a significant reason for their interest.

Didn’t expect to wind up with Winston

Easop Winston – 6-foot-0 190-pound undrafted wide receiver Easop Winston was a huge reason for Washington State University’s offense. After all, he boasts a 4.41-second 40-yard dash time. And he is definitely a player who very likely can contribute when the offense has the ball as well. The reality is that many expected Winston to be drafted early on day three. After all, he was a primary target for now-Jacksonville-Jaguars-starting-quarterback Gardner Minshew in 2018. And he was rated very well in a very deep and talented receiver class. Don’t be surprised if he emerges with a significant role for the Rams in 2020.

While we cannot say how improved the LA Rams special teams will be for 2020, or even if the team will improve, it’s pretty apparent that special teams coordinator John Bonamego loves to set up very competitive groups to earn a chance to play for his squad. While everyone looks elsewhere, the Rams have snuck in seriously talented players for specific roles on the team for 2020.  Will it all mesh and synch up for the team?  The jury is still out on that front. But the Rams have amassed a serious amount of surprisingly high talent for the team this season.