It's only minicamp, but Rams Kobie Turner is proving himself to be 'that' guy

When the Los Angeles Rams selected former Wake Forest rookie interior defensive lineman Kobie Turner in the 2023 NFL Draft in Round 3 with the 89th overall pick, not many NFL draft analysts or fans were excited about his selection. His draft profile projected him as a mid to late Day 3 selection, and his projection was stymying in terms of how the NFL viewed him in terms of rookie honors, awards, and accolades.

Despite reservations from mainstream media, we loved the addition of DT Kobie Turner to this team. He was a bit undersized, but he joined a Rams defense led by All-Pro defensive line Aaron Donald. And while Donald was power personified, Kobie Turner's superpower is the ability to flex, twist, and contort himself to break through the line of scrimmage.

He should have earned the 2023 Defensive Rookie of the Year award. He was outstanding at stopping the run and at rushing the passer. Even as NFL voters did not sit up and take notice, the Rams coaching staff did. That is how second-year DT Kobie became a defensive team captain last season.

He is constantly double-teamed. That has not stopped him from getting after opposing quarterbacks, coming up with 17.0 quarterback sacks in his first two seasons. That is on top of 119 tackles, six deflected passes, and 14.5 run stuffs. Most impressive is that he continues to shine despite getting double-teamed more than any other NFL interior defensive lineman.

So, what can the Rams do to either help out Kobie Turner or leverage offensive linemen doubling up on Turner to exploit one-on-one advantages? Well, believe it or not, it's already queuing up for the 2025 NFL season.

Now here's where it get good

While he may continue to rotate over to the nose tackle and attract the attention of multiple offensive linemen this season, DL Kobie Turner has not been abandoned by the Rams front office. In fact, after reviewing the team's offseason moves, there is relief already on its way. Let me explain:

As soon as the team signed veteran NT Poona Ford, changes to the Rams' defensive rotation were triggered. With a veteran nose tackle who can rush the pass on board, the Rams have eliminated the need to rotate Turner to the nose tackle position to reinforce the pass rush. Ford is perfectly suited to rush the passer from the nose tackle position. But how can this team keep Ford fresh and rested?

The selection of athletic rookie Ty Hamilton fills that need. Much like the athletic Turner, Hamilton is an extremely versatile defensive lineman who relies upon his agility and elusiveness as he does his power. And with Ford handling the lion's share of the workload, Hamilton is ideally suited to be a rotational player who provides relief.

The Rams' defensive line rotation is not established yet. But this team has all the right pieces in place to ensure that Kobie Turner faces fewer double teams in 2025. And if opposing offenses continue to plague him with multiple offensive linemen, they risk allowing NT Poona Ford to terrorize their quarterback.

I love win-win scenarios, don't you? As always, thanks for reading.

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