LA Rams: Third-best CB tandem may be too low for Rams’ tandem

The LA Rams secondary is one of the best in the NFL. How good? Well, that’s where the debate comes in. You see, the Rams’ secondary contributed to the best defense in the NFL in 2020. While there is certainly ground to make up in the wake of safety John Johnson III and cornerback Troy Hill learning their value in the NFL Free Agency market, the Rams re-signed All-Pro defensive back, Jalen Ramsey, to a multi-year deal and retained defensive back, Darious Williams, on a one-year first-round Qualified Tender Offer.

Competition for Troy Hill’s vacated spot is heating up rapidly.  On one side, the LA Rams‘ third-year defensive back David Long Jr. is ideally suited to take over. He is 5-foot-11, weighs 196-pounds, and emerged from college football at Michigan with a tremendous reputation.

Los Angeles Rams

Not only does he possess a similar body frame and mindset, but he’s spent the past two seasons acclimating to the defense, supporting special teams’ play, and has even started a game.

On the other, the Rams secondary may soon be welcoming rookie defensive back, Robert Rochell. Rochell is a 6-foot-2, 195-pound rookie out of Central Arkansas, who was a small school prospect overlooked by many teams in the 2021 NFL Draft. While he has yet to take a snap in the NFL, he is an incredibly athletically gifted player who has been the subject of reports citing tremendous upside.

Rams secondary isn’t second to anyone

In either case, the LA Rams secondary will surely benefit from the play of either competitor and as such will be a bonus to the team’s two starters. How exactly will that affect the play of the Rams secondary, or more specifically, their two starting cornerbacks? Well, it likely has the Rams cornerbacks undervalued even as the third-best duo in the NFL.

We know that the New England Patriots’ relationship with Stephon Gilmore is strained, so much so that Jalen Ramsey attempted to recruit him to the LA Rams. We also can surmise that the Baltimore Ravens’ pass rush has eroded a bit this offseason, and that will cause a subsequent strain on the Ravens’ cornerbacks who will be forced to cover for longer periods of time.

We know that Jalen Ramsey is incredibly adept at shutting down even the best NFL wide receivers, and Darious Williams has rocketed to the top of the NFL cornerbacks as the other defensive back. Perhaps the thinking is that former defensive coordinator Brandon Staley was the engine to the Rams’ secondary success and that newly arrived defensive coordinator Raheem Morris won’t be as effective?

Perhaps.

But let’s not try to convince Ramsey and Williams that they are worse in 2021 than in 2020. On paper? They may be far more effective this year.