The LA Rams have a very bright future with their secondary

Depth chart comparisons

Actually, the LA Rams are in better shape than many teams in terms of the secondary. After all, the team is going to do well simply with Jalen Ramsey on the field. Now, the Rams must build their roster around the fact that quarterbacks will target the other guy.  So the front office simply needs to ensure that the other defensive backs are up to the challenge.

How do we compare various secondary rosters? Well, let’s roll up two projected depth charts. The first will be ‘as is’, while the second will be with a franchise tag:

AS-IS secondary depth chart

RCB                       Terrell Burgess                  J.R. Reed
Slot CB                  David Long Jr.                    Tyrique McGhee
FS                           Jordan Fuller                      Juju Hughes
SS                           Taylor Rapp                        Nick Scott
LCB                         Jalen Ramsey                    Donte Deayon

Franchise/Tenders used secondary depth chart

RCB                       Darious Williams              J.R. Reed
Slot CB                 Terrell Burgess                  David Long Jr.                    Tyrique McGhee
FS                           Jordan Fuller                      Juju Hughes
SS                           John Johnson III                Taylor Rapp                        Nick Scott
LCB                         Jalen Ramsey                    Donte Deayon

It’s clear that the Rams are in far better competitive shape if the team successfully retains both Darious Williams and John Johnson III. In fact, if the team does so, the defense is practically good to go with the exception of the linebacking ranks.

But even if the Rams are unable to retain either Williams or Johnson, the defense is still formidable. And the team is not in desperate need of targeting a defensive back with the first pick used in the 2021 NFL Draft.  In either case, the Rams are in good shape. But if the goal is to win the Super Bowl, the Rams will need to bolt their secondary down with Darious Williams and John Johnson III.