It's only OTAs, but Rams rookie TE Terrance Ferguson is putting on a show

I cannot pretend to believe that the ultimate tight end for the Los Angeles Rams was not the guy that the team tried to trade up for in the 2023 NFL Draft, Utah TE Dalton Kincaid. I cannot pretend that the team was not on target when it tried to trade up in the 2024 NFL Draft to select Georgia tight end Brock Bowers. I cannot even say with any certainty or conviction that the team did not try to leap up in the 2025 NFL Draft to select either Michigan tight end Colston Loveland or Penn State tight end Tyler Warren.

What I can say with complete conviction and certainty is that things always seem to have a way of working out for the best for the Rams.

In 2023, instead of TE Dalton Kincaid, the Rams emerged with three starters in IOL Steve Avila, OLB Byron Young, and NT Kobit Turner. Both OLB Byron Young and NT Kobie Turner, a.k.a. The Conductor, were finalists for 2023 DROY. In 2024, the Rams may not have landed TE Brock Bowers, but this team did land DROY OLB Jared Verse and DROY finalist DT Braden Fiske.

Still, the Rams' epic quest to find the perfect tight end successor continued. Well, until the 2025 NFL Draft, that is.

The Rams had a unique and rare opportunity to trade back in Round 1 of the 2025 NFL Draft. Trading back would relieve the Rams of two quite valuable picks in this year's draft. But for the price of the 26th (Round 1) and 101st (Round 3) overall picks, the Rams could help themselves to the Atlanta Falcons' 46th (Round 2), 242nd (Round 7), and a Round 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. The net exchange resulted in the Falcons getting a Round 1 and 3 picks by shipping a Round 1, 2, and 7 picks to the Rams.

So did the Rams have to settle in Round 2 by accepting the Falcons' offer? You may think that, but the team always has a master plan at work. After a myriad of trade scenarios run over and over by the team, the Rams were fully prepared to trade back in the 2025 NFL Draft. By doing so, the team did not compromise its draft goals.

You could argue that the Rams' decision to trade back set the wheel in motion for a sensational draft haul. The more I dive into what the team wanted to do and managed to accomplish, the more impressed I become. To encapsulate what the Rams managed to accomplish on Day 2 of the 2025 NFL Draft, it's time to revisit the 2025 Behind the Grind Episode 2.

When the Rams finally stepped up to the podium to make the 46th overall pick, the team didn't need to find instant impact players. But it was clear that the team's fixation on the tight end position meant that the team would almost certainly have to be confident that a worthwhile tight end would be on the board.

At the 16:40 mark, the Rams' brain trust reconvened to be clear of their Day 2 draft objectives, and Oregon TE Terrance Ferguson's name was mentioned right out of the gate. And as the video continues to play, the sole focus of Rams HC Sean McVay is about getting Oregon tight end Terrance Ferguson aboard.

The entire video is worth watching multiple times. There is so much to take away from this lone video.

But Rams fans have to be sure that Terrance Ferguson was not simply the cliche 'best player on the board,' that is, coachspeak for best consolation prize. But there are hints and clues throughout the Terrance Ferguson segment that confirm: A- The Rams really wanted Terrance Ferguson as their top player on Day 2, and B - The Rams took the risk that Ferguson would fall to them without the need to trade up.

It was clear that the Rams' patience had worn thin with waiting for players to fall to them on Day 3. But let's turn to the next slide and see how Terrance Ferguson earned the right to speak after OTAs in a press conference:

Ferguson's post-OTA press conference yields clues as to 2025 role

There is always a wellspring of optimism and hope whenever a rookie is selected in the NFL draft. But Rams fans have come to recognize that when the front office and coaching staff align on a young rookie prospect, those players have better than expected chances of impacting the team in positive ways.

The track record of the Rams in recent drafts serves as a constant reminder that the team knows better, even in the face of disbelief and disparaging remarks from NFL analysts. You needn't look into the past any further than the 2024 NFL Draft to find evidence of the Rams hitting a home run with defensive tackle Braden Fiske, while many immediate reactions at the time suggested that the Rams had struck out.

The Rams have tried to resolve the tight end enigma for several years, in several ways. TE Davis Allen is more adept at blocking than receiving. The same can be said of TE Colby Parkinson. The Rams have sought a bona fide successor for veteran TE Tyler Higbee, but it was clear that the search continues after Higbee returned for three games last season and put up two touchdowns.

The Rams begin a new chapter behind rookie tight end Terrance Ferguson. But he is not on his own. The Rams' tight end room is already rallying around Ferguson, giving him plenty of tips, hints, and clues to ease his way off the bench and into the offense.

At the 23:45 mark, Ferguson is asked how Rams HC Sean McVay has interacted with him. His response that McVay is pouring into him at OTAs is great news. Coach McVay ultimately makes or breaks the rookie's career. And if he is taking a deliberate interest in a rookie tight end, that bodes well for Terrance Ferguson's upcoming 2025 season.

Okay, so let's sum up what we know about Terrance Ferguson so far:

(3) - He was the Rams top selection in the 2025 NFL Draft

Yes, the Rams traded back in the 2025 NFL Draft. We may never know who the Rams may have selected at the 26th overall pick of the draft. But we do know that the Rams were prepared to select Oregon tight end with their first pick in Day 2, even if the team had dared to trade up to the 33rd overall pick.

The Rams waited patiently for Ferguson to fall to the 46th overall pick, and the gamble paid off. While he was selected in Round 2, you can bet that the Rams vetted him extensively for his projected role in this offense.

Was Ferguson a reach? Some draft profiles projected him as late as Round 3 or 4. But he was among the top tight end prospects in a talented rookie class. Tyler Higbee's draft profile shows a very similar style of tight end, with the nod going to Ferguson by a small margin.

(2) - He checks all the boxes

It's difficult to hold a rookie appearing in his first NFL OTAs to the standard of a veteran, but it's clear that even his first encounters with NFL defensive backs in t-shirts and shorts are promising. But pass catching is just one of multiple basic tasks that Ferguson must excel at to be considered to earn offensive snaps and targets in this offense

When the pads go on, Terrance Ferguson will need to prove that he can block. That task is basic, but is vital to the Rams' offense. So there are no shortcuts. He has to establish and maintain blocks. The Rams are confident that he can.

He must also demonstrate the ability to run precise routes. The Rams' offense is based on precision. Receivers must be in their spots at the moment that the football arrives, or the play risks unacceptable outcomes. Timing is critical. Precise routes keep defenders at bay and off-balance to create enough separation for a play to work.

Finally, there are intangibles like timing a leap, catching the football with the hands and away from the body, and even churning out yards after the catch.

In all categories, more evidence is required to confirm that he has mastered all tasks. But throughout the draft process, Rams' scouts and coaches were convinced that Terrance Ferguson could perform everything required of him. Even Rams GM Les Snead is convinced that rookie TE Terrance Ferguson will 'give more effort than the next guy.'

(1) - He is HC Sean McVay's pet project in 2025

When the Rams drafted Puka Nacua in Round 5 of the 2023 NFL Draft, he arrived in a specific role already envisioned by Rams HC Sean McVay. Since the offense had a plan already drawn up for Nacua, it was relatively easy for the team to put rookie WR Puka Nacua into a position to succeed.

Rams HC Sean McVay has a similar vision for rookie TE Terrance Ferguson. While a vision may not be a prerequisite to success for every rookie on every team, it certainly seems to be a huge factor in finding success in the Rams' offense. Perhaps that vision allows a rookie to get snaps, targets, and opportunities with the first string. Perhaps that vision compels the offense to include specific plays that highlight and feature the skills of that player.

In any case, Coach McVay knows what he wants to see out of Terrance Ferguson at tight end, and it very much appears that Ferguson is already meeting, if not exceeding, expectations:

Even Rams Offensive Coordinator Mike LaFleur loves what he sees from Terrance Ferguson so far:

"He has a good demeanor about himself. He has got a cool, calm, kind of swaggy demeanor about himself. (He is) fitting in real well with these guys and he just continues to get better...You just want to see guys that are willing to get better in their fundamentals. And then when they are asked, maybe once a day, to go attack a defense end without the pads on, just to still go for it, and he’s not shy."

Rams OC Mike LeFleur

OTAs are step one for any NFL rookie, but it's often the case that first impressions can be very important to an NFL rookie's career. Does he show up? Is he coachable? Is he putting in the work? NFL coaches recognize almost instantly which rookies are giving solid efforts and which rookies are doing just enough to coast.

All indications so far confirm what Rams GM Les Snead asserted about rookie tight end Terrance Ferguson. Ferguson is giving more effort than the next guy. And as Rams fans know: "Work, works"

As always, thanks for reading.

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