LA Rams: 7 players who could be surprise cuts in 2021

A pass-catching tight end

When the LA Rams drafted tight end, Brycen Hopkins, he was touted as a circus-catching sort of big-bodied receiver. In fact, the plan seemed to be that he would work with the team until he earned offensive snaps, get some cameo action late in the season, and then be all set for a semi-starting role for the 2021 season. Well, that kinda really never happened.

Instead, he seldom saw the football field. While veteran tight end Gerald Everett has gone on to sign with the Seattle Seahawks, the Rams then went out and drafted a freakishly athletic tight end named Jacob Harris. Meanwhile, the 6-foot-4 245-pound Purdue Boilermaker must take it all in stride. Well, to a point.

Hopkins’s draft profile spelled out both the reason for his selection and the reason why he may already be in peril. In short, he was described as a player who possesses separation quickness that enables him to open throwing windows for his quarterback, but he also described as possessing modest ball skills and below-average catching ability that frustrates coaches by turning potential completions into drops.

He too was on the brink of seeing action in 2020, but due to the offense not generating enough first downs to extend the series, Hopkins never took the field. Much like Xavier Jones, Hopkins’s chance to wow the coaches may have expired before he ever had the chance to take the field. Now, the team’s media is hypnotized with the sheer raw athleticism of wunderkind Jacob Harris.

Now, Hopkins needs to produce like a veteran. He had a year to learn the team, the offense, and the plays. Any confusion, or an untimely streak of drops, and he will be at risk of finding a new NFL team. Even if he does perform as expected, the competition is already getting buzz across the nation.  The LA Rams have raised the bar on this roster. Brycen Hopkins must follow suit.