Jimmy Lake is back, and why his under-the-radar return is great news for Rams D

When it comes to the Los Angeles Rams, the coaching staff is prepared to welcome back superb coaches whose passion runs deep. After losing CB Coach Aubrey Pleasant to the Detroit Lions in 2021, the team welcomed him back in 2023. At that time, the team also welcomed another secondary savant.

The LA Rams hired Jimmy Lake in 2023 to fill the role of Assistant Head Coach. When Raheem Morris left the coaching staff to become the Head Coach of the Atlanta Falcons, he tapped Lake as his first Defensive Coordinator for the Falcons. The Falcons finished 2024 as the 23rd-best yardage defense in the NFL and as the 23rd-best scoring defense in the NFL. For comparison purposes, the Rams ended 2024 as the 26th-best yardage defense and 17th-best scoring defense.

That one-year performance was not good enough for the Falcons, and Lake was fired. Of course, the Rams are always more than happy to add to the talent pool of the coaching staff, and were thrilled to re-hire Lake after just one year's hiatus.

Coach Jimmy Lake is a guy whose legacy is football defense, just as Head Coach Sean McVay's legacy is steeped in football offense. Coach Lake has a career with quality NFL and NCAA college football experience. Still, he continues to run a bit under the radar, and that is a good thing for the Rams coaching staff.

My first experiences with Coach Lake were his chapter with the Washington Huskies and his knack for changing high school prospects into NFL rookies. At that time, he was one of the best college positional coaches among his contemporaries, and his efforts were evidenced by the success of players in the annual NFL draft.

The Rams' defense does not need Lake to manage everything. In his new role as the Senior Defensive Assistant, Coach Lake will have the flexibility to tackle specific aspects of the Rams' defense, while remaining versatile enough to mentor and help players adapt to life in the NFL throughout training camp.

While the Rams' pass defense remained the 20th-ranked secondary in 2024, the Rams seemed to do more with less in 2023, a season in which both Coaches Jimmy Lake and Aubrey Pleasant joined forces. Now, with Lake back on staff, the same synergy is back as well.

The team is expected to address the secondary in the 2025 NFL Draft. The team needs to upgrade the talent at cornerback, as well as add future depth to the safety position. Lake has a keen eye for pass coverage talent, and his return will aid the team in finding the optimal combination of passion, performance, and production.

The Rams want to take their pass coverage to the next level. With Jimmy Lake back on the coaching staff, that is certainly now within reach.

As always, thanks for reading.

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