NFL run-stuffing expert sees Rams as biggest threat to dethrone Eagles

Sometimes, it's best to leave expertise to the experts. And when it comes to the Los Angeles Rams, that can mean getting a rather optimistic perspective over the team's chances. Yes, some NFL analysts still view the San Francisco 49ers as contenders in 2025. But the consensus pole position for Super Bowl LX is the Philadelphia Eagles. While that makes logical sense, as they are the defending Super Bowl champions, their greatest contender is a bit of a surprise if you didn't pay close attention to last season.

We have heard from former NFL quarterback Chase Daniels about why he believes the Rams are the stiffest competition for the Eagles in 2025. But he is not alone. Other NFL players seem to view the Rams as a true contender in 2025, perhaps improved enough to knock off the Eagles. One such player, a former defensive lineman for both the Rams and the Detroit Lions, sees it that way.

He is former Rams defensive lineman Michael Brockers, who also played for the Lions.

So let's get right to it. Why does he view the Rams, and not the powerhouse Lions, as the greatest threat to the Eagles in 2025? The Detroit Lions lost both OC Ben Johnson and DC Aaron Glenn in the annual coaching carousel. Aaron Glenn is now the head coach of the New York Jets. Ben Johnson is now the head coach of the Chicago Bears.

Both coordinators were instrumental in changing the culture and success of the Detroit Lions.

Rams finally hit stability at coordinator positions

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Rams benefit by welcoming all three coordinators back for the new 2025 NFL season. That means OC Mike LaFleur, DC Chris Shula, and ST Coordinator Chase Blackburn are back to continue their oversight for another NFL season.

The Rams have had revolving doors at all three coordinator positions since hiring Sean McVay in 2017 to take over as the team's head coach. Let's run down the team's history of coordinators:

As you can see from the data table above, 2025 is the first time that the Rams have had the luxury of welcoming back all three coordinators. The Rams coordinators did not change in the transition from 2018 to 2019, but that was a unique situation as the team committed Sean McVay to a dual role of head coach and offensive coordinator.

The team was structured to do that because both DC Wade Phillips and ST Coordinator John Fassel were experienced coordinators who had head coaching experience. That allowed the Rams to commit McVay to oversee the offense while they had almost autonomous oversight over the defense and special teams, respectively.

The team resumed the more traditional roles of three coordinators in 2020 and has never looked back.

Brockers knows what he's talking about

So what makes Michael Brockers such an expert on the topic? Is every former NFL player anointed as an expert automatically? Well, to borrow a line from the movie My Cousin Vinny: 'I'd like to voir dire the witness.' So let's do that right now.

Defensive lineman Michael Brockers's history may not be familiar to current-day Rams fans, but he was the right-hand man to All-Pro DL Aaron Donald. Standing 6-foot-5 and weighing 297 pounds, Brockers joined the Saint Louis Rams in 2012 and was one of the veterans who welcomed rookie Aaron Donald to the team. An incredibly versatile player, he started at all three Rams defensive line positions in nine years with the team.

And he was a master at stuffing the run. In nine seasons playing for the Rams, he put up 395 tackles, 48 tackles for a loss, and 28.0 quarterback sacks. Best of all, he had a career missed tackle rate of just 3.4 percent in the Rams' defense.

Brockers knows how to stop the run. And he was taking notes as the team signed FA nose tackle Poona Ford, drafted rookie run-stuffer Ty Hamilton, and bolstered the ranks with undrafted defensive line standouts Bill Norton and Da'Jon Terry. The Rams roster is ripe for success in 2025. Brockers sees that potential more quickly than the untrained eye.

Brockers was ultimately traded to the Detroit Lions before the Rams won Super Bowl LVI. But he is still one of the players who was more than happy to do the thankless grind work on the line of scrimmage that helped the team to be quite successful.

If he sees the Rams' run defense as capable of holding up to the Eagles' thundering rushing offense, take notice. Michael Brockers knows run defense. And he knows that the LA Rams are cooking up a good one for 2025.

As always, thanks for reading.

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