Who will emerge as the LA Rams’ 2021 breakout player?

Many LA Rams fans had very high expectations for RB Cam Akers coming into the 2021 NFL season. Unfortunately, after some early Organized Team Activities (OTAs), Akers tore his Achilles while training. Due to the team’s featured running back being injured, this team needs to reset the offense behind the running of Darrell Henderson, Xavier Jones, and Jake Funk.

Each player will likely share the load, and will therefore have a lower ceiling. So we’ll need to look elsewhere on the roster for our guy.  Of course, it would be easy to look at players in their contract year. After all, that is usually when players break out in a big way. But is it really breaking out when you’ve had 3 NFL seasons to build to that point? Four years seems more like farming crops than anything sudden and impressive.

Many expect the LA Rams defense to regress sharply this year. Well, perhaps. But I can’t see it. This is a defense that still boasts All-Pro defensive lineman Aaron Donald spearheading the defensive front and the pass rush. While he may not get to the quarterback on every play, he does rush the passes to the point where those hurlers make mistakes by rushing things along.  That’s where cornerbacks Darious Williams and Jalen Ramsey step in.

So let’s look at the secondary for a second. The starting safeties are Jordan Fuller and Taylor Rapp. But second-year player Terrell Burgess will have a significant role in this defense as well. In fact, both Fuller and Burgess have a chance to be the new breakout player for the team.