Rams quietly found a rookie who’s shaking up their depth chart

It’s been quite the year for Shaun Dolac. After being named an All-American selection from Buffalo, the linebacker went undrafted despite ridiculous college production.

He led the MAC in tackles, tackles for a loss, interceptions, and several other categories, making him arguably the best linebacker in the country. It was one of the most productive seasons you'll ever see from a college linebacker, and that's why he was named the 2024 MAC Defensive Player of the Year.

However, Dolac did not receive a combine invite, and that ultimately led to him falling out of the draft. But the Rams scooped him up as a free agent, and all he’s done is manage to impress the coaching staff. And after two productive preseason games, Dolac is already working with the first-team defense.

Shaun Dolac should be a lock to make the roster

During the Thursday practice, the Rams tweeted out a video of Matthew Stafford connecting with Davante Adams on a gorgeous throw. But if you look closer, you can see Dolac working with the first-team defense this week. Credit to Cameron DaSilva of Rams Wire for pointing that out first:

There have been some injuries at the linebacker position for the Rams, and we shouldn’t overreact to one single practice rep. But the fact that the Rams feel comfortable putting him into that position tells us a lot about how they view Dolac. He's shown enough in the preseason to warrant more snaps, and he's taken advantage of every opportunity put in front of him so far.

The Rams have a ton of linebacker depth and it remains to be seen how they fit all of them on the 53-man roster. That decision will need to be made by Tuesday, but at this point, it would be a major shock if Dolac isn’t on the team. He’s just too good of a playmaker to leave off and his work on special teams should allow him to make an impact right away.

Don’t expect Dolac to be on the field much in Week 1 for the Rams, but it sure feels like the coaching staff and front office are optimistic about the role he could have on defense in the near future. Once again, Les Snead and his staff have discovered a hidden gem to give their defense even more depth.

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