LA Rams DB Donte Deayon earned his promotion to 53-man roster

The career path of LA Rams defensive back Donte Deayon is not one that you witness very often.  After all, he was another player who signed on with another team, was cut, and was picked up by the very opportunistic LA Rams organization, thanks to a diligent and every watchful personnel department.

He was added to the New York Giants team after the 2017 NFL draft out of Boise State, and he shuffled between their practice squad and active roster for two seasons. He remained in that limbo state until he was eventually waived in 2018. Several months later, the LA Rams signed Deayon to their practice squad.

Once more, Deayon was caught between the practice squad and the active roster. Surprisingly, even after effective training camps in both 2020 and 2021, he failed to make the Rams active roster. It was not until he played incredibly well in Week 6 against his former team, the Giants, that he caught the eye of analysts and coaches alike.  That led to his joining the team’s active roster.

Donte Deayon is a solid mix of confidence, meticulous preparation, and flamboyancy. All three attributes are necessary to succeed as a member of an NFL secondary. Deayon is one of the cogs that makes the entire defensive machine run well.

Successful defensive backs must be able to shake off a bad play, be comfortable playing alone out in space, and chat-it-up to ensure everyone is on the same page. Deayon does all of that and more. In fact, he is one of the most personable guys on the team, always good for making his teammates crack a smile or burst into laughter.

Future implications

We pointed out Deayon’s value when he re-signed with the team in 2020. Deayon is a fearless velcro-like defensive back whose style is very similar to that of injured defense back Darious Williams. After just one week of subbing into the Rams defense, the coaches agreed and have acted to add him to the active roster.

With Williams out on injury, Deayon has an opportunity to showcase what he can do as a starter for this team. If he can prove he can elevate the play of the secondary, not only will that mean good things for the Rams defense, but will position him as a key player to retain for the 2022 season and beyond. In one game, he made four tackles and allowed only five of eleven passes to find their intended target. Better yet, he only allowed 5.0 yards-per-completion.

No, not every game will be that good. But the Rams have been searching for the right pieces to add to this defense to make the entire group synch up. The Rams played very well on defense in Week 6. Now that Donte Deayon has been added to the active 53-man roster, there is every reason to expect another solid defensive performance in Week 7.