LA Rams may have no choice but to keep these 6 rising D stars

Defensive lineman

If there is any training camp/preseason competition that appears to be neck and neck, it is the dead heat performances of Jonah Williams and his teammate, defensive lineman Eric Banks.

Los Angeles Rams

He is also cut from the same cord of wood as the players who seem to do very well in the LA Rams defensive scheme.

Eric Banks was another defensive lineman scooped up in 2020 after the draft and held on the practice squad all season. And, just like Jonah Willams, he has a unique blend of skillsets and background that makes him a true asset for the defense. Eric Banks has a strong connection to Coach Henderson, having played for him at the University of Texas at San Antonio.

Much like Willams, Banks is a raw powerhouse who conceivably can play with his hand in the dirt or take on the duties of an outside linebacker to change things up a bit. That type of versatility is incredibly effective in today’s defensive strategy. The only challenge so far was getting Banks some real-world NFL experience.

This year, he’s getting some experience courtesy of two preseason games

While preseason is not an NFL regular-season game, it has gotten Banks some good competition against NFL-caliber offenses. Much like the production of Jonah Williams, Banks has put up solid production including five tackles and two quarterback sacks in just two preseason games. That’s legitimate work for a player who was signed as an undrafted rookie just one short year ago.