Early buzz over 6 rookies has Rams fans begging for more in OTAs

Rams anchor defensive front with this fireplug

The Los Angeles Rams know that the defense must master stuffing running backs if the team is to have any hope of postseason success. But with so many talented running backs swarming into the NFL thanks to a robust rookie class of 2025, more teams than ever will boast strong ground attacks. So it stands to reason that the defense has to get much better very quickly.

Stopping the run is not glitzy or glamorous. It's one of the areas that is not a featured statistic in Fantasy Football, so many new era NFL fans simply do not pay much attention to the task. But NFL coaches and fans who appreciate the game know and love anyone on the defense who can stuff the run, reroute the offense, and master the art of gobbling blockers.

The Rams believe they've found someone who fits that category.

Ty Hamilton is not the type of guy to have a dozen or more microphones thrust at him at the end of a football game. In many ways, Hamilton's presence on the football field reminds me of former Rams defensive lineman Greg Gaines. A stout run defender, Hamilton not only plays tough-nosed football, but his ability to impact the line of scrimmage improves the quality of play all around him.

He simply is content to let others hog the spotlight.

It's a curious matter that creates the paradox in almost every NFL draft. Is a rookie prospect highly regarded purely on their own merits? Or does a rookie prospect's draft profile gain tremendous advantages simply by being supported by a more dominating cast? After all, do teammates of Ty Hamilton get a bit of a draft boost by playing next to him?

We know that many NFL mercenary edge rushers loved to compete on the Rams' defense in the hope of benefiting from the 'Aaron Donald effect.' Can Ty Hamilton bolster the Rams overall run defense similarly?

If he plays, he's going to be fantastic

The Los Angeles Rams did not need to toss another running back into the competition for playing time. The Rams were cozy with giving the football to running back Kyren Williams. And if the team had any regrets doing that, they had running back Blake Corum returning for another chance at prying away carries from his teammate. And then there are two more running backs in Ronnie Rivers and Cody Schrader.

But not one is necessarily explosive.

Former Auburn running back Jarquez Hunter certainly is. He is uniquely gifted to bring both the power of a steam locomotive and the speed of a bullet train in one small but Mighty Mouse package. He is the real deal.

I won't pretend to guess the level of work Hunter might get in 2025. It could be anywhere from 10 carries to 200 carries. And since he is a rookie running back for the Rams, I'd project fewer rather than more carries. But the Rams traded up for Hunter, and it would be senseless to do so if the plan is to sit him on the bench and contemplate the meaning of life in the NFL.

Race cars have to race. A small, mighty, fast, powerful running back like Jarquez Hunter has to run. There is no way for this player to earn his keep by being a great locker room guy. He has to get on the football field to contribute.

If the coaching staff can relent and allow this rookie to run with the football, a new chapter of the Rams offense opens up.