LA Rams rookie Elijah Garcia could be the next big thing on the DL

DAWGWORK time

Coach Henderson lays it all out for the players who he coaches. Four fundamental ingredients: Discipline, Attitude, Work-Ethic, and Grit.  Those characteristics are the foundation of his #DAWGWORK mantra and are all readily apparent in Elijah Garcia.

So let’s pause a moment and catch you up on this young man.  Who is Elijah Garcia? Well, for starters, he is a hulking 6-foot-5 302-pound defensive lineman who has the potential to slide into any one of the three Rams defensive line positions. He has an infectious positive attitude and is more about committing to help the team than to pad his stats.

Sure, he’s raw. While that may mean a year of being redshirted as many eventual NFL starters have been, there could be a little bit more to this young man. Garcia was one of three undrafted free agent rookie signings that we project to make the 53-man roster, and in light of the news about Bobby Brown III’s six-game suspension, that could likely play out.

Of the players who could step up to grab some defensive snaps for the LA Rams defensive front, Garcia appears to be a strong option.

So what were draft analysts saying about Garcia? Here are his draft specifics:

There are two areas of weakness that, realistically, can be mentioned about all rookies joining the NFL. One area is raw inexperience. Well, even the most polished and well-coached rookies entering the NFL suffer from that weakness. After all, they are rookies for a reason. Another common weakness that can be said about any rookie is weakness. Many of these young men have just turned 21 years of age, and their bodies are still growing and maturing.

I like what the LA Rams do on the defensive line in terms of adding talent because whether it’s veteran or rookie additions, the team has an uncanny knack for seeing behind the standard profiles and getting to the heart of what makes a successful NFL defensive lineman. Can he put in the work? Can he work in a group? Can he sustain the same effort even when he doesn’t see immediate results, knowing and trusting that results will come down the road?

Garcia checks all those boxes