3 big things that Rams fans must know now about their latest coaching hire

Throughout the 2024 NFL season, the Los Angeles Rams pass rush was close but not quite on target with bringing down opposing quarterbacks. If you love quarterback pressures, then the LA Rams defense was a great deal of fun to watch last year. If you prefer quarterback sacks, then the Rams defense was a bit like a rice cake. It was something to chew on. It was good for you. But it left your taste buds unsatisfied. After all, there was a lot of running around, but no whistle playing the play dead with a quarterback lying prone on the football field.

The team became far more aggressive in the 2025 NFL Playoffs. In two games, the team generated 16 quarterback sacks, a phenomenal number of sacks. And this came from such a young defense. But upon closer inspection, the defense recorded four quarterbacks via blitz packages. That's right, ILB Omar Speights, CB Cobie Durant, CB Ahkello Witherspoon, and S Jaylen McCollough all had their chance to sack opposing quarterbacks.

And they all delivered. Now, the team is taking their entire blitz packages a bit more seriously. How do I know? The Rams are hiring former Patriots OLB Coach Drew Wilkins as the team's new defensive pass rush coordinator, as per NFL Insider Ian Rapoport:

So why does this mean changes for the Rams defense?

Drew Wilkins has 15 years of NFL coaching experience, his most recent role was that of the New England Patriots’ outside linebackers coach in 2024 under HC Jerod Mayo.

DC Chris Shula hires his . . . padawan?

Wilkins began his coaching career as an intern with the Baltimore Ravens in 2010 and took on greater responsibility on the Ravens coaching staff over the next 12 years. Ultimately, he rose to become the Ravens' outside linebackers coach (2018-21) before leaving to fill a similar role with the New York Giants coaching staff for two seasons and with the Patriots in 2024.

(1) A great defensive strategist

Dan Wilkins is more than just an Xs and Os guy, as he had solid reviews from the Baltimore Ravens for his time there. He contributed to the Ravens' stellar reputation for fielding a consistently stingy defense. And it's that ability to take the defense to the next level that makes him a key addition to this defense. After all, the Rams found unparalleled success in the 2025 NFL Playoffs by launching undetectable blitzes.

Now, it will be Wilkins's role to aid in stunting and sending blitzes to get after the quarterback more consistently. He worked closely with Baltimore Ravens OLB Elvis Dumerville to get him to 35.5 quarterback sacks over four seasons. Now, he will get to work with OLBs Byron Young, Jared Verse, and more to optimize the Rams pass rush.

Wilkins adds a new pair of eyes, a new background, and new strategies to the Rams young and outstanding defense. I love this hire from this alone. But there is so much more to love.

(2) Instantly upgrade draft intel from 2025 East-West Shrine Bowl

As the LA Rams roll into the 2025 NFL Draft, the abundance of information about the top names of rookie prospects will be easy to come by. But if, as expected, the Rams draft strategy in 2025 pivots to the offensive side of the football, can the team dig through the weeds to find NFL-caliber talent on the defensive side of the football on Day 3 or the 2025 NFL Draft, or perhaps even after the draft concludes?

Well, it's a lot easier to do when you hire a guy who had an inside role with working with defenders in the East-West Shrine Bowl. And in hiring Drew Wilkins, the Rams get all of that intel about the East Team defense to use in plotting draft strategy.

In 2020, the Rams landed a quartet of rookie defensive linemen after the draft. From that group, the team coached up DE Jonah Williams and DL Michael Hoecht into defensive starters. I see Wilkins as someone who brings the insight to allow the Rams front office to repeat a similar strategy in 2025.

(3) Team gets an instant understudy for DC Chris Shula for 2026

It's impossible to view the coaching history of Drew Wilkins and not see the similarities with DC Chris Shula's own coaching history. In fact, before he was hired as the LA Rams defensive coordinator, Chris Shula served as the team's pass rush coordinator, the very role that Drew Wilkins has been hired to fill. That lends logic to the assertion that the team is already ahead towards 2026.

The Rams encourage coaches to grow in their roles, and even to cross-pollenate with their boss's tasks. In that way, the team ensures that coaches are constantly motivated and growing on the staff. But it also allows the team to promote from within if and when the time comes to promote a coach to fill vacated roles due to coaches signing to coach elsewhere. It's difficult not to see Wilkins as the Rams' next DC candidate if Chris Shula is hired as a head coach in 2026.

And it's even more difficult not to see DC Chris Shula getting hired as a new NFL head coach after the 2025 NFL season. Of course, any future hiring by the Rams to fill roles that are not yet vacated is absolutely speculation on my part. But the dots are there, waiting to be connected.

Drew Wilkins is a solid coaching hire. But he is simply one more step in the right direction by the team. The Rams defense is something to keep an eye on this offseason.

As always, thanks for reading.

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