The down and dirty of the LA Rams initial 53-man roster

Cornerbacks (4)

Jalen Ramsey, Darious Williams, David Long Jr., Robert Rochell

Synopsis

The LA Rams watched a lot of preseason work and watched as defensive back Brontae Harris was targetted for what appeared to be 20 times a game. The team watched defensive back Kareem Orr make some great plays to break up passes. And the team even watched defensive back Dont’e Deayon make solid plays too. Yet not one of those players made this roster. That’s how good these cornerbacks are.

Don’t fret over the loss of Troy Hill to the Cleveland Browns. I think David Long Jr. will prove to be up to fill his shoes. His teammate Darious Williams is not only poised for another great season, but he has flipped over to being the guy who is sharing his wisdom with younger teammates. And the group is led by All-Pro Jalen Ramsey, who will be all over the secondary once more, this time with the objective of taking away what the opposing offense is trying to do. We’ll discuss that more over time. But the other wunderkind of the defense is rookie Robert Rochell, who has all of the raw skillsets as his veteran teammate Jalen Ramsey. He just needs to learn how to stitch together an All-Pro NFL career. Well, he’s come to the right place.

Safety (6)

Jordan Fuller, Taylor Rapp, Terrell Burgess, Juju Hughes, Nick Scott, J.R. Reed

Synopsis

The safety position is where Raheem Morris loves to emphasize, and it’s clear that setting up six players ensures that the team will be invested in getting significant production from the back end of the defense.  The front three of Jordan Fuller, Taylor Rapp, and Terrell Burgess bring a fine blend of complementary skillsets. Fuller is the cerebral headsy player who can diagnose what he sees unfold and preempt the play by getting there before the ball. Taylor Rapp is the most physical one, the inside linebacker/ safety hybrid that we’ve coined as the ‘Super Saiyan’ role. He’s the thumper on the back end of the defense. Terrell Burgess fits the cover guy role perfectly. He can stick to the tight end or slot receiver as needed and does a good job of breaking up pass plays.

Juju Hughes, Nick Scott, and J.R. Reed are all valuable additions to the defense, as well as peak contributors to the special team’s coverage unit. They will help seal off the back end of the defense throughout the 2021 season