LA Rams found star NFL DB in rookie DB Jordan Fuller

LA Rams rookie DB Fuller impacts the game with every outing

The LA Rams selected DB Jordan Fuller with the 199th pick of the 2020 NFL Draft hoping for a future starter. Instead, the team discovered a day one starter who changes the outcomes of games. That’s a pretty good haul on day three of any NFL Draft.

It’s obvious that the LA Rams certainly did their homework in the 2020 NFL Draft. Well, we did too, as we were able to identify Fuller as an NFL-caliber talent out of Ohio State twice in our predraft discussions. The first review of Fuller was in our Big-Ten, and we touted his pass coverage ability. In his second appearance, he was identified as a fourth-round talent, and once more the Rams’ need for safety depth this season made him an ideal draft prospect.

Fuller impact

The LA Rams hoped for a rotational player. But as soon as Fuller stepped onto the field in training camp, it was obvious that he was special. The opportunity created by a sore knee from presumed starter Taylor Rapp was one he would seize with both hands. The buzz about Fuller grew, and by the time the season arrived, he was named as the starter at safety alongside John Johnson III.

He played hard for the first two games but dinged up his shoulder tackling late against the Philadelphia Eagles.  He missed two games but returned to face Washington. He reinjured his shoulder once more and was placed on injured reserve until the bye-week.  He has since returned to start once more. His impact? The Rams have not lost a game when he plays. But the team is 2-3 when he does not play.

That’s very special for a sixth-round defensive back.

He’s special that way

The Rams learned another lesson about Jordan Fuller that they did not anticipate, but this time the revelation occurred simultaneously with a national audience on Monday Night Football. The ‘aha’ moment is that Fuller has sneaky good ball skills. He intercepted  Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady twice in the game, the second time to seal the win for the Rams. In Brady’s 21 years of professional football, he’s thrown for 566 touchdowns and 188 interceptions. And now, Fuller is in the history books with two of those interceptions.

Rookie Jordan Fuller has just five NFL games under his belt. He is playing like a well-seasoned NFL veteran with just five games to his credit. With each game, he gets better, wiser, more talented, and more intelligent. So it’s pretty safe to say that LA Rams rookie defensive back Jordan Fuller will continue to improve this season, and will help the Rams defense overall get better along the way.

Just one player who was chosen in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Such an impact. But if you study the history of that 199th pick, you will find that it has a magical quality with similar results before.