What roles can 10 remaining UDFAs fill with LA Rams in 2021?

EDGE rusher

One of the key lesser-known tidbits is the fact that when the LA Rams started the 2020 NFL season, undrafted defensive lineman Eric Banks was part of the 53-man roster. He was waived and added to the Rams practice squad on October 10, 2021, where he remained for the duration of the season. What was that significance? He was moved to the practice squad when OLB Terrell Lewis and NT A’Shawn Robinson rejoined the team from Injured Reserve.

Banks never saw the football field during his time on the 53-man active roster. And despite the coincidence of swapping out when Terrell Lewis rejoined the team, he is a defensive lineman who plays at the defensive end position. That is the same role that Morgan Fox is vacating, and will certainly have one of the most heated competitions in training camp this year to fill.

While he hails from the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) the paths of Banks crossed that of Rams defensive line coach Eric Henderson in 2016. It was no accident that Banks arrived at the Rams as an undrafted free agent. Of course, the fact that he is 6-foot-5 and up to 274-pounds is a good start to playing in the role of an NFL defensive end.

Even without the obvious opening on the defense, Banks could cross-train at an outside linebacker as well as offer great special teams presence and production. Banks was a former HS quarterback, and as such could be a very versatile player for the Rams defense in 2021. Right now, the Rams (sans Derek Rivers or Morgan Fox) remain nine deep at the defensive line position with just three positions to fill. Either the Rams planned to divest of some of the veteran players, planned to use the defensive line depth as trade bait for this year, or simply overstocked at the position.

I suspect that the Rams did not just accidentally overstock, and news will develop to pare down the number of players this year organically.