LA Rams: Two Aggies rookies can play major roles in Rams success

The LA Rams do not use conventional methods to build a roster. Just follow the NFL storylines leading up to the draft. 31 NFL teams will be talked about, all with multiple projections citing who each team might select. But as for the LA Rams? No such discussion. No such projection. The LA Rams don’t draft on day one.

Instead, the LA Rams have the production of Jalen Ramsey in the secondary. The team has quarterback Matthew Stafford under center. But they are known players, not unknown. As such, there is little to imagine about how well they might perform. They just do very good things on the football field.   But that doesn’t catch the headlines.

In a similar way, the LA Rams are bargain shoppers of the NFL. Whether out of necessity or simply because they can do so, the Rams have the ability to find players with NFL potential from among those who were either undervalued, overlooked, or discarded.

A pair of Aggies

The  Texas A&M Aggies 2020 football season ended with a record of 9-1, a very solid season for the SEC West Division.  Up to nine such players were listed in the 2021 NFL Draft prospects list. And lo and behold, the LA Rams have two of the top four prospects listed from that Texas A&M Aggies team on their roster. No headlines. No fanfare. No ticker tape parade. Just a solid team making solid moves that few keep track of and even fewer applaud.

We seldom feature a college football program after the team has built its final 53-man roster, and augmented it with the practice squad, but times they are a’ changing. It was clear during our recent review of how important undrafted players have become to the success of the team that the Rams have used their practice squad with incredible efficiency to produce NFL-caliber talent. It’s also a great place for the coaching staff to safely determine the full skill set and talent levels of late-arriving players.

Of course, some players arrive and are ready for a role in the rotation out of the gates. Texas A&M interior defensive lineman Bobby Brown falls in that category. Other players arrive who are not quite ready to claim a starting roster spot, but are so promising that they will complete for one in the near future. Texas A&M interior offensive lineman Jared Hocker fits that category. Now, let’s look at how these two rookies can help the Rams in the future: