LA Rams news about COVID-19 Kupp is no need to panic, seriously.

4. LA Rams rookies are very scarce but talented

The Rams have tremendous untapped young talent, and they will finally get their chance to be heard on the football field. The team has not heard much out of WR Van Jefferson, and he is one of the hardest worked players so far. The Rams have heard nothing from undrafted rookie running back Xavier Jones, although he led the NCAA in scoring last year. And the team has yet to see anything from tight end Brycen Hopkins.

Of course, the least experienced players were not getting playing time for a number of reasons. But it’s impossible to ignore the fact that the Rams do not often play rookies on the offensive side of the ball. Despite using their two most valuable picks from the 2020 NFL Draft of skill players, the Rams have given the combination of Cam Akers and Van Jefferson just 461 offensive snaps. That averages out to about one in every three plays, one of the two will be on the field.

Make things happen

Of course, it comes down to the chicken or the egg debate. Will the Rams rookies play better with more playing time, or will playing better earn them more playing time? Well, the time for developing players on the bench is over. The Rams are short of a starting wide receiver, an offensive left tackle, a quarterback, and two running backs.  So who will make up the difference?

The Rams will need to get plenty of work out of Jefferson. He played 50 percent of the offensive snaps in the last meeting with the Arizona Cardinals, catching four passes for 27 yards. The Rams will likely debut undrafted rookie Xavier Jones, who at 5-foot-11 and 208-pounds is a nice combination of Cam Akers and Darrell Henderson. He can run with speed or power but has an incredible nose for the end zone. While they may not start hot, the Rams’ young players will get stronger as the game progresses. And don’t be surprised if seldom-used rookie WR Trishton Jackson is active against the Cardinals.