3 late round LA Rams rookies showing up big time in training camp

3 Late Round Rams Rookies who can make an immediate impact

Late round draft picks and undrafted free agents are the longshots of the NFL. Everyone always loves a good underdog story. Who will those people be this season for the Los Angeles Rams?

The NFL is one of the harder sports leagues to get into across all professional sports. It happens to be one of the biggest money sports as well, dominating American television ratings like nothing else. What football has become is one of the biggest multi-trillion dollar industries that fuel economies, dreams, and a whole lot of hard-working people.

A football player’s chances are slimmer than most when he goes undrafted coming out of college – oftentimes it’s a death blow to a once blossoming career. There oftentimes isn’t much of a difference between a late-round draft pick and an undrafted free agent, as mostly their chances are equally as slim.

Drafted in late rounds but very talented

Now, the Rams have to cut their active roster down to 53 men by Saturday, September 5th. These rookie prospects are just about out of time to show the Rams coaching staff what they can do.

Good word out of camp is a good sign for most, as teams don’t usually cut you if you’re playing better than someone else on the team. After all, the idea of the game is to win, right? Let’s talk about three late-round/UDFA prospects that have a really good shot to make an instant impact on the Rams 53-man roster.

Safety Jordan Fuller

It’s amazing when you look at the draft and try to figure out how Jordan Fuller fell to the 6th round, much less to the “Tom Brady” spot in the draft (199th overall). He was a little bit slow at the NFL combine, running a 4.67 forty yard dash, but listed with good size and showed very good explosion skills in the other drills.

According to JB Long on Sunday, August 31st, Fuller was “making a great first impression.” According to the story by Long, Fuller was highly touted by a midwest region scout, Brian Hill, who was most responsible for the Rams pulling the trigger on Fuller in the sixth-round.  “[We] noticed a particular grade Brian gave Jordan Fuller,” Rams general manager Les Snead explained. “There are only five, maybe seven, Brian Hill’s ever given this grade to and all of them are successful in the NFL.”

Fuller was elite NCAA talent

Fuller was a stud football player at the University of Ohio State, buried among the depth of the roster and the All-American athletes that the Buckeyes continuously produce. I personally had ranked Fuller as my 15th best safety prospect in the class and the best “project” safety, a grade that I give to athletically gifted players who I don’t believe are quite ready to play yet.

While starting safety Taylor Rapp has missed time this camp struggling with a knee injury, Fuller has shined bright in the spotlight. He’s even pushing strong safety John Johnson III for playing time, as the Rams are beginning to feel comfortable with Fuller, Johnson, and third-round rookie Terrell Burgess playing in the back-end.

OG Tremayne Anchrum

The Rams snagged a steal in the seventh round as the Clemson interior lineman fell deep into the draft. Tremayne Anchrum played offensive tackle at Clemson and was ranked as my 19th best offensive tackle prospect (a project). His move inside to the interior is a much better fit for both his playing style (a bruiser) and his size (6’2″ and 314 pounds).

Sports Illustrated Rams reporter Eric Williams reported on Twitter that Anchrum “has been solid,” and that he’s been getting second-team reps in practice. The Rams have to respect that Anchrum could be a really good addition on the line because of his ability to play several positions across the line. Experience at tackle isn’t taken lightly in the NFL.

High IQ produces high quality

Anchrum is a very intelligent player. He understands his part of the offense and that of every other player around him. And that understanding of his surroundings gives him a huge advantage of understanding how to benefit the offense on any given play.

Now, Anchrum is knocking on the door as a potential starter on this team at right guard. With Austin Blythe and David Edwards ahead of him on the depth chart, there is a desire for Anchrum to be a contributor. At the worst, Anchrum is competing with Jamil Demby as being the last offensive lineman to make the final 53-man roster.

LB Clay Johnston

I have something very sad to admit as a wanna-be NFL Draft analyst: I did not even watch Clay Johnson before the NFL Draft. The Rams did, however, and took him in the seventh round. Ourlads scouting services said that the 2019 second-team All-Big 12 linebacker was thriving in the 3-3-5 system that Baylor had switched to before a knee injury derailed his season.

Johnston is a hustle player. He is constantly striving to get better and play better, someone who plays with a high motor and gets from sideline-to-sideline. It’s enough that even legendary NFL quarterback Brett Favre noticed.

Johnston may be next man up

When he spoke with Johnston on the phone in a scene that was aired on HBO’s Hard Knocks. “I played with a ton of guys, but not many guys like you, who love (football),” Favre told him. “I always liked the guys, like yourself, who’d come in and be full of energy and love it … that’s the kind of guys you win with.”

With the latest injury to Travin Howard, who is now out for the season with a torn meniscus, there is room on the roster for more help at the linebacker position. Johnston was on the unofficial depth chart behind Howard and would slide into the back-up spot if that chart proves to be accurate.