LA Rams teammates love DL Greg Gaines performance, here’s why…

Whoa, he did what?

Greg Gaines is a shining example of how these LA Rams convert Day 3 drafted players into an NFL starter. He was selected with the 134th pick (Round 4) of the 2019 NFL Draft, and due to the LA Rams’ depth including Michael Brockers, Aaron Donald, and rising star Sebastian Joseph Day, Gaines was eased in slowly in his rookie year.

In fact, he was kept in his role of backup when the LA Rams added veteran A’Shawn Robinson to the roster in 2020 but then re-signed veteran Brockers. At that point, the Rams appeared to be content to allow Gaines to cycle onto the football field as part of the normal but rapid defensive line rotation. But an opportunity would come a-knockin’, and Gaines would swing the door wide open.

Playoff Gaines > 2020 season Gaines

Gaines flashed his future potential in the Divisional Round of the 2020 NFL Playoffs. While the Green Bay Packers seemed to have no trouble moving the football against the Top-rated defense, they didn’t have much success whenever they tried to run at Greg Gaines.  In just 20 defensive snaps, Gaines made two tackles, one for a loss. But if you watched the game, he forced the Packers to reroute their running plays, giving his teammates time to shed blockers and make the play.

Typically, players have less success in post-season play than in regular-season play. But that was most certainly not the case for Greg Gaines, who recognized that his teammates needed him, and proceeded to put up the best Pro Football Focus grade of his career at 75.2. That burst of excellence has carried over into the 2021 season, where he is now boasting a grade of 75.0.