5 forgotten about players who could earn larger roles in 2025

(4) - DB Jaylen McCollough

The Rams were not exactly driven to draft defensive backs in the 2024 NFL Draft, but signing Tennessee strong safety Jaylen McCollough after the draft ended more than made up for it. The Rams were very eager to add McCollough, even to the point of giving him a rare $15,000 signing bonus to sign with the team. And based on his first season in this defense, that was still a bargain.

McCollough appeared in all 17 games, starting once. He was a rotational player, getting action for 335 defensive snaps. But he made those snaps count. Despite his limited defensive role, McCollough led the team with four interceptions, tying rookie Kamren Kinchens in that department. In many ways, McCollough is a prime example of how the Rams remain so competitive, as his performance exceeded even the most optimistic projections in 2024.

The team has a glut of solid safeties right now, including Kamren Curl, Quentin Lake, Kamren Kinchens, and soon-to-be free agent veteran John Johnson III. But to be honest, Jaylen McCollough plays and looks the part of an NFL starting defensive back. And after his surprisingly effective rookie season, I expect he will earn an even larger role in 2025.

(3) - CB Emmanuel Forbes

When the LA Rams claimed cornerback Emmanuel Forbes off the Washington Commanders waiver wire, the sense among many fans who expressed an opinion on the move seemed to gravitate towards 'Why not?'. A former Round 1 selection of the Commanders, Forbes never seemed to quite work out. The intriguing part was not that he struggled to compete for playing time on the Commanders' defense, but that they would release him just 1.5 years into his NFL career.

Because the Rams had struggled to swell the ranks at the cornerback position with healthy players, Forbes was worth claiming to see if he might offer the Rams defense some support. Forbes was very limited to his participation in the secondary because he arrived mid-season. He did start for the Rams in Week 18. In that game, he made five tackles and did manage to break up one pass. He allowed three of five passes to find their mark, resulting in a 60 percent completion rate. Perhaps it was the rust of not playing until that final game of the season, but he missed two tackles, which was a missed tackle rate of 28.6 percent.

Forbes has NFL height, standing 6-foot-0. But his listed weight of 180 pounds is alarming, and it shows when he steps onto the football field. He simply does not have the appearance of a defender who can match the required physicality and durability necessary for a starter. Is it simply a matter of hitting the gym and putting on more muscle mass? I don't know. You'd have to think that the Rams and the Commanders had pointed out the need to bulk up.

If he shows up a bit bigger in 2025, I can see him competing for a larger role in the secondary. The Rams have limited players on the roster currently at the cornerback position.