6 clear winners and 3 disappointing losers from the Rams' 2025 preseason

The Los Angeles Rams have not been boring through the 2025 preseason. From fierce competition on the football field to the drama and suspense of the field, fans have had plenty of excitement and disappointment to fill the summer months. But as August 2025 comes to a close, so too does the Rams' 2025 preseason. That opens the door for a lookback assessment, not for one game, but for the entire preseason.

This was a tough season to show up on the team as a rookie. There were many returning veterans from one year ago, and any roster depth issues seemed to be adequately filled through the 2025 NFL Free Agency market. So there were no obvious roster holes that begged for rookies to fill. Perhaps that is why the team's rookie draft class did not excite every fan.

This is a team that has upgraded the entire roster, not just highly compensated elite players. So the typical gushing and fawning over a handful of players may not be on the menu this year. That's not necessarily a bad thing, as the lack of elite game-changers also means far less risk of a disastrous outcome should one of the stars suffer injury.

Biggest winners and losers from the 2025 Rams preseason

Losers

Who were the players whose fortunes took a turn for the worse? It's never just a rose garden in the NFL. Some players, whether by luck of the draw or by external forces, simply get the short straw. These are the three most significant losers from the 2025 preseason.

(3) - Punt return coverage

This one should scare every Rams fan. Punter Ethan Evans finished the 2025 NFL preseason as the top punter in terms of gross punting yards. He punted 12 times for 682 yards, averaging 56.8 yards per punt. Unlike many other positions in the NFL, preseason statistics are often put up by NFL starters. But the thing is, the Rams surrendered 169 punt return yards and a touchdown, the worst in the NFL.

The 41.1 net punting yards clocks in as the 14th-ranked net punting yards. And that spells trouble. No, the sky is not falling. And yes, the Rams likely have not shown their true punt coverage unit or strategy. But it's something that has been troubling this team since drafting Wingate punter Ethan Evans. The optics on this one suggest it's still as broken as ever.

(2) - QB Dresser Winn

It could not be worse timing for former UFL quarterback Dresser Winn to debut as the starter, only to face the Cleveland Browns' starting defense. Winn suffered tremendously under the burden of few reps, no chemistry, and facing the ones.

It was clear by the vitriol that erupted on social media that the lopsided talent level was not considered by fans who tuned in to watch the game. Still, as Browns' backup players started to rotate into the game, Winn had a much easier time of sparking the offense to life.

(1) - OLB Keir Thomas (IR)

Outside linebacker Keir Thomas has been with the team since 2022 and has struggled to earn and retain a roster spot on the team. There was hope that 2025 might be different, as he showed up and performed well in last season's NFL Playoffs. He was placed on Injured Reserve, with almost no details as to the seriousness or extent of injuries. Initially, it was a move that seemed to afford the team a chance to keep 53 players on a 53-man roster. Additional details now suggest that his season is over before it began.

Thomas faced stiff competition at the outside linebacker position. Rookie OLB Josaiah Stewart was getting plenty of positive press out of training camp. Beyond that, returning veteran Brennan Jackson led the team and was runner-up in the NFL with 3.0 quarterback sacks recorded in the preseason.

Winners

Now for the flip side of the coin. Whose fortunes among the players are rising? Who on the team appears to be better than the brochure? Here are six such players.

(6) - TE Terrance Ferguson

Many fans fell into the doubting-Thomas category over rookie tight end Terrance Ferguson. He was hyped from the moment of his selection with the 46th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. But due to an injury, he did not participate in practices, creating a huge deficit in reps. That necessitated his play in the final preseason game. And in one reception, the fanbase changed from skeptics to believers:

He ended the game by catching two of three passes for 48 yards. Even in that limited role, his talent level was painfully obvious. He truly is a wide receiver in a tight end's body, and he was so good that he made QB Dresser Winn look good. It may have been just 20 or so snaps, three targets, and two catches, but it was enough to make believers of the fans.

(5)- ILB Shaun Dolac

Undrafted inside linebacker Shaun Dolac continues the tradition of showing up as a capable NFL starter despite not hearing his name called out in the NFL draft. Much like former Pro Bowl Cory Littleton, he brings more to the position than meets the eye. He showcased why he was so dominating in college by carrying over those tremendous traits into the NFL:

• 12 total tackles
• 4 stops
• 0 missed tackles
• 71.3 passer rating allowed

He did not play in the final preseason game, a surefire sign that he will make the team's 53-man roster. He is a do-it-all linebacker, and brings incredible upside to the position.

(4) - RB Jarquez Hunter

While he didn't showcase his penchant for explosive offensive plays, rookie running back Jarquez Hunter proved that he possesses surprising power and amazing speed. The fact that he fits all of that into his 5-foot-9, 204-pound frame borders on unbelievable. Still, the proof is in the pudding.

As often as fans begged to see Hunter in open space, the offensive game plan seemed to ignore those pleas. Perhaps the team wishes to maintain an element of surprise, springing Hunter in screen passes or jet sweeps in offensive wrinkles designed to catch defenses flat-footed. Despite a light load in preseason, he was the 12th-ranked runner in preseason. That was in a vanilla offense, no less.

(3) - WR Brennan Presley

Undrafted rookie wide receiver Brennan Presley had a fantastic preseason. He was a wide receiver, running back, and return specialist. He is an amazingly versatile performer who gives the coaching staff plenty of optionality in how to use him. Like a Swiss Army knife, he offers something for just about any NFL scenario.

While he may not be the best on the team in any single category, his production across so many diverse and unique categories makes him indispensable.

(2) - RB Cody Schrader

The team's limited 2024 usage of RB Cody Schrader dictated that his time with the team was coming to an abrupt end. But after a complete reversal of fortune in the 2025 preseason, he may have salvaged his NFL career and carved out another spot on the roster once more. He ended the preseason as the sixth-ranked rusher, putting up 120 rushing yards over three games.

He showed up as the most effective running back on the team in one game, and his fiery competitiveness seemed to infect the entire offense. The biggest win was how easily he showcased what it was that attracted the team to claim him off the San Francisco 49ers' waiver wire in the first place.

(1) - Stetson Bennett

It's one more season of QB Stetson Bennett, and one more opportunity for his nay-sayers and critics to repeal their overly premature and harsh criticisms. Even now, after just two preseason games, it leaves him as the runner-up in preseason passing yards; some continue to express their doubts and criticisms. But he continues to improve, and in doing so, continues to prove that the team's faith in him was well placed.

Some contend that he is nothing better than a backup. Others insist that he will never throw a pass in an NFL regulation game. But he continues to seize every opportunity and showcase tremendous talent and competitiveness. He may not have won over all of his critics. But he has won over the coaching staff. In the end, that is all that matters.

As always, thanks for reading.

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