Rams’ $50.7M offensive line already raising red flags heading into Week 2

The Los Angeles Rams went to great lengths to shore up the depth and quality of their offensive line in preparation for the 2025 NFL season. The team opted to go heavy up front, carrying 10 veteran offensive linemen on the 53-man roster while parking three more on the practice squad. But that depth didn’t help much in Week 1.

Perhaps it was the lack of preseason preparation, as the starting five didn’t practice together until the week leading up to the opener. LT Alaric Jackson was held out of contact due to a medical condition and wasn’t cleared until the last possible moment. Facing the physical Houston Texans defensive front left this group battered and disheartened, and NFL analysts ranked their performance near the bottom of the league.

Sadly, that ranking was warranted. The offense struggled to generate anything on the ground, and despite having size up front, the line allowed three sacks on Matthew Stafford. While that’s not catastrophic given the Texans’ pass rush, it was certainly more than the Rams coaching staff was hoping for.

Rams offensive line must do better in Week 2

Per OverTheCap.com, the Rams are spending $50.7 million on their offensive line, making it the tenth-most expensive unit in the NFL. That kind of spending implies two things. First, the team is committed to protecting its veteran quarterback. Second, there are clear expectations tied to that investment.

Needless to say, they didn’t get their money’s worth in Week 1. Per Pro Football Focus, here is how each individual fared:

• LT Alaric Jackson - 60 snaps | 54.3 overall | 45.6 pass blocking | 56.6 run blocking
• LG Steve Avila - 31 snaps | 69.7 overall | 66.5 pass blocking | 67.9 run blocking
• C Coleman Shelton - 60 snaps | 63.7 overall | 37.2 pass blocking | 69.1 run blocking
• RG Kevin Dotson - 45 snaps | 75.4 overall | 75.1 pass blocking | 72.0 run blocking
• RT Rob Havenstein - 60 snaps | 58.4 overall | 37.6 pass blocking | 70.5 run blocking
• IOL Beaux Limmer - 44 snaps | 70.7 overall | 27.6 pass blocking | 89.9 run blocking

Per PFF, sacks were allowed by Limmer (1) and Havenstein (1). Penalties were committed by Limmer (1),

These grades aren’t gospel, but the relative metrics paint a clear picture: pass protection was well below expectations. Three linemen failed to even crack a 40.0 in pass blocking—far below the bare minimum needed to keep Stafford upright. If the threshold is raised to 50.0, only two players, Steve Avila and Kevin Dotson, managed to qualify, and Avila is unlikely to suit up in Week 2.

It’s far too early in the season to panic, but this is a problem that needs immediate attention. After everything the team went through just to get Stafford healthy for the start of 2025, the offensive line has to show up in much better form.

Jackson’s performance is understandable given his limited camp participation. But the pass-blocking grades from Coleman Shelton and Rob Havenstein are alarming. Hopefully, the group will rebound in Week 2 because if not, the Week 3 rematch against the Philadelphia Eagles won’t be one that fans will enjoy.

As always, thanks for reading.

You may enjoy reading other recent Rams articles