LA Rams: 3 longshots who may make the 53-man roster

OL Jackson

While the LA Rams did not draft any offensive linemen from the 2021 NFL Draft, the signing of Iowa Hawkeyes offensive tackle Alaric Jackson, a.k.a. AJ Jackson, after the draft is every bit as noteworthy. After all, it’s not how the talent gets on the roster, as long as the significant talent is in fact added to the roster.  AJ Jackson is significantly talented.

He is listed on the LA Rams roster as 6-foot-7 and 285 pounds. That is significant because that is much leaner than his 2021 NFL Draft profile where he was listed at 6-foot-5 and 321-pounds.  Less weight translates into quicker bursts, faster speeds, and less wear-and-tear on his knees and ankles. After missing games in 2019 due to a knee injury, Jackson converted to a vegan diet and dropped weight.  Even with some limits to his fundamentals in terms of foot placement, hand usage, and power, he was a consensus round-four to six graded draft prospect.

He will report to the Rams’ new offensive line coach Kevin Carberry. Why is that significant? Carberry was the offensive line coach for Washington Football Team All-Pro offensive guard Brandon Scherff, and he is also an alumnus from the Iowa Hawkeyes college football program. See where we are going with this? There are no ‘developmental players’ in the Rams pipeline any longer. Jackson, Max Pircher, and Jordan Meredith are all prospects who should have an opportunity to contribute in 2022.

Even as the LA Rams face a rather massive potential exodus of key offensive linemen in the 2022 NFL Free Agency market, Jackson offers incredible potential either as an offensive tackle or offensive guard who could assume a starting role for the team next year. That will no doubt be a key goal as the coaching staff pushes rookies to showcase their talent this offseason. I expect that Jackson will be playing a significant number of snaps in the three preseason games this year as a result. If he performs well, he may push hard for a roster spot. He is a player the Rams cannot afford to lose to another team.