Who will earn the TE2 role for the LA Rams in 2022?

Better blockers

If the Rams go with what they have done in the past, their second tight end assumes a role that Johnny Mundt filled so well. That means that the team will be looking for a blocking tight end and the player who most fits that mold is already on the Rams roster by the name of Kendall Blanton.  Kendall Blanton is a 6-foot-6 260-pound tight end who has all the size and power necessary to become one of the NFL’s best blockers.

Now, he just needs playing time and experience. I expect that is next on the menu for Blanton.

Blanton may not have the ability to catch passes like Higbee, but he can do so in a pinch. In fact, in the NFC Championship Game against the San Francisco 49ers, Blanton was a perfect five receptions for 57 yards. Coupled with the fact that he was the backup tight end of choice throughout the season, Blanton appears to have an inside track on the second tight end role for now.

Gamecock reunites with former coach

Another tight end who could enter the picture for the LA Rams in 2022 is former South Carolina Gamecocks’ TE Kyle Markway. While at college, Markway was a blocking tight end, only catching 37 passes for 454 yards and three touchdowns. But his 6-foot-4 250-pound frame is perfectly suited to mash outside linebackers and defensive ends at the NFL level.

Markway is that type of prospect who had flashed plenty of can-do potential throughout his career. He simply needs to be muscled up in the training room, coached up on the practice field, and experienced in game-day situations. While the biggest dig against him is the lack of continuous effort, he does have the upside of both great blocking and soft hands that could turn him from an undrafted depth player to a highly prized ‘find’.

He was added to the Rams roster three times. He was released for the first time to make room for P Corey Bojorquez.  He was released for the second time as players tested negative for COVID-19. Now, he is back for the third time. Oh, and the reassignment of former South Carolina coach Thomas Brown from running backs to tight ends cannot hurt either.