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

Defensive lineman

If you don’t know much about former Brown defensive lineman Michael Hoecht, then you must be new to this site. So welcome aboard!  We were smitten with the rare combination that Hoecht offers, as he posted a 4.65-second 40-yard dash time. While that may not impress as a stand-alone statistic, it raises the eyebrow as soon as it is placed into the context of coming from a 6-foot-4 290-pound defensive lineman.

Well, a former running back turned defensive lineman, that is. And while we are oohing and ahhing over his speed, he’s powerful enough to bench press 225-pounds 23 times as well.  So what can the LA Rams do with him?  Perhaps that was the trouble in 2020. He has the potential to be an interior defensive lineman, an edge rusher, or even a fullback.

The LA Rams defensive line is solid and remains intact so far in 2021.  Solid, very talented, and very deep. So deep, in fact, that the Rams could convert to a 4-3 defensive front and immediately have enough DL depth to fill all four starting roles, have four backups, and still have one player to fill the in-case-of-emergency role. And to be honest, with the struggles that the Rams have had to retain outside and inside linebackers, I’m not certain that transformation shouldn’t take place this year.

Hoecht certainly does make a strong case to increase the number of defensive line positions on the field at any one time, simply due to the fact that he has such a significant promise that will wilt if the Rams simply keep him on the bench.  He is a heady physical and athletic player who truly deserves to get his chance to show up on the field this season. But how will the Rams work out nine players vying for three slots? That remains to be seen.