3 Rams who need to step up or risk losing their roster spots in 2026

Top to bottom, the Los Angeles Rams have a stacked roster. Unless we're talking about special teams. Or cornerbacks. Or mediocre receiver depth. These are chinks in an otherwise enviable group of players. 

Fixing the special teams unit might require a systematic overhaul, though Sean McVay took the first step in that direction by dismissing coordinator Chase Blackburn late last season. As for the other positions, the Rams will do what they can in free agency and the draft, but at the end of the day, certain players who struggled last season will simply have to step up or lose jobs.

At cornerback and receiver in particular, names from further down the depth chart may face pressure to fill the roles vacated by departing free agents. Cobie Durant and Roger McCreary will hit the open market from the secondary. Tutu Atwell is a pending free agent as well.

With that in mind, here's a look at three Rams who have plenty to prove in 2026. 

Emmanuel Forbes - Cornerback

Let's start with the obvious one: cornerback Emmanuel Forbes. Every Horns fan knows the secondary needs help, and now depth could be an issue with Durant and McCreary hitting free agency. Relying on Forbes again will be a disaster if he doesn't step up his game. 

The third-year corner put up solid numbers on the surface. He tied for the team lead with three interceptions. Per Pro Football Focus, Forbes was second in the NFL with 13 pass breakups. By passer rating allowed, he finished 37th among 114 graded cornerbacks. 

His physical play and interceptions supplied excitement, but that's only part of the equation. Although Forbes rebounded somewhat from a disastrous start, Rams fans watched get gouged in coverage all too often. Despite logging over 800 snaps (35th), he ranked just 72nd in stops, tackles defined as preventing a successful gain by the offense. He made nine all year. 

Worse, among graded corners, his 16 missed tackles per PFF were the NFL's third-most. For a secondary that just needs to hold down the fort, those basic mistakes are a massive problem. It all adds up to a paltry 53.8 overall PFF grade, in the bottom 19 percent at the position. Badly exposed as a starter, Forbes will have to be considerably better to keep a regular role at all, let alone entice the Rams to pick up his $11.7 million club option in 2027.

Jordan Whittington - Wide Receiver

Matthew Stafford would probably like one of his receivers to emerge as a dependable third option. Puka Nacua and Davante Adams will do the heavy lifting, but what happens when they get banged up like they did last season? Will the offense be able to make a living force-feeding tight ends? 

Maybe it will, but if someone needs to step up on the receiver depth chart, it's Whittington. The former sixth-round draft pick took a step back as a sophomore, coming up with just 18 catches for 171 yards. Nearly two-thirds of his regular-season production came in the first six weeks.

Whittington's lack of involvement afterward is a concern entering his third season. If he doesn't provide more, he may find his reps going to Xavier Smith and Konata Mumphfield, in addition to any receiver the Rams take in the upcoming draft. As a late-round selection who hasn't progressed as hoped, Whittington shouldn't take his job security for granted.

Ty Hamilton - Defensive Tackle 

On the basis of positional need, this one isn't as urgent. Backing up a stud like Kobie Turner, Hamilton isn't likely to get a ton of snaps, anyway. Including him in this list is more about simply needing something, anything from the last draft's 148th overall pick. 

LA wasn't expecting a Pro Bowler out of Hamilton, but the Ohio State alum didn't show much growth over the course of the season. In a single game, he never earned more than the 14 snaps he saw in his debut against the Titans. Although he played in 14 games, he took the field for only 12.3 percent of defensive snaps. He didn't play in the postseason.

What Hamilton showcased in his limited opportunities did not inspire confidence, resulting in a PFF grade of 29.9. At backup defensive tackle, the Rams aren't asking for much, but Hamilton will have to give them more, or they won't think twice about replacing him.