Former sixth-round dud just shook up the depth chart with unexpected surge

The Los Angeles Rams may know who they want to keep on their roster for the 2025 NFL season. But when it breaks down into personnel packages, some things remain up in the air. One area that seems to be coalescing is the defensive line depth chart, and second-year DL Tyler Davis appears more and more likely to be in the rotation.

DL Tyler Davis was outstanding against the New Orleans Saints in their joint practice/scrimmage. In doing so, he is cementing his place in the defensive line rotation with Poona Ford, Kobie Turner, and Braden Fiske. The Rams typically deploy rapid rotations along the defensive front, which means that the team has two more slots to fill before finalizing the 53-man roster.

The Rams defensive front was one of the strengths of the 2024 season, and it has gotten stronger. With the addition of veteran Poona Ford, the development of Tyler Davis, and the maturation of both Kobie Turner and Braden Fiske, the Rams have developed defensive linemen who are not only stingy against the run but can chase down the quarterback on passing plays as well.

Rams top four defensive linemen includes Tyler Davis

The Rams DL rotation in 2024 consisted primarily of Turner, Fiske, Desjuan Johnson, Tyler Davis, Bobby Brown III, and Neville Gallimore. In the offseason, both Brown and Gallimore's contracts expired, creating room for two new defensive linemen to enter the rotation. One set of shoes will be filled by veteran NT Poona Ford, who has also dominated so far.

The other spot is currently being contested between rookie Ty Hamilton and veteran Larrell Murchison. The Rams used Tyler Davis in their DL rotation last season, but only on 299 defensive snaps. Despite the light workload, he managed to record 29 tackles, two tackles for a loss, and even 0.5 quarterback sacks. All signs point to the second-year veteran getting more snaps this season.

His teammate, defensive lineman Kobie Turner, had nothing but praise for him in training camp. And to emphasize the praise, he shared that Davis was among the top four defensive linemen on the team.

Well, he continues to perform like a top defender. Against the New Orleans Saints, he was very productive, putting up several solid tackles against running backs, while also forcing quarterbacks to move in the pocket. There were no 'sacks' per se, as the joint scrimmage rules set before the exercise protected all quarterbacks on the football field.

As the coaches continue to fill in their final open 53-man Rams roster slots, it appears almost certain that Tyler Davis will be among them. That's good news for Davis, but it's even better news for the defense. This is DC Chris Shula's second season as defensive coordinator. Look for big things from the group this year. As always, thanks for reading.

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