Omar Speights doing all the right things in Rams camp to keep his starting job

Linebacker Omar Speights is one of the few returning starters on the Los Angeles Rams roster embattled in a competition to keep his job. Based on his play in training camp, which has impressed defensive coordinator Chris Shula, he may be well on his way to do that. 

"Omar's awesome. Steady, man. Consistent. Love that guy," said Shula, via beat writers Stu Jackson and Zach Edwards. "Since he's been here, he's just exactly where he's supposed to be, he's a physical player, he can diagnose in the run game, he has no wasted movement. You know exactly what you're getting every single day out of Omar Speights, and so happy we have him."

Despite starting 26 games in two seasons, including all 16 he played in 2025 and five more in the playoffs, Speights' role has come under question due to his issues in pass coverage. Alongside Nate Landman as the other starting inside 'backer, the Rams need someone who complements his stout run defense by sticking to receivers on short-area routes in the middle of the field.

Speights hasn't consistently passed the eye test in that department, but he has once again shown up in training camp, doing all the right things to remain the Rams' best option at LB2.

Speights' toughness may outweigh his flaws as Rams evaluate options

Speights is easily adequate against the run, as Shula observes. In the course of making 152 tackles since 2024, he has missed only six, per Pro Football Reference - a whiff rate of just 3.8 percent. PFF charged Speights with 10 missed tackles last year, but still awarded him a run-defense grade that ranked in the top 35 percent at the position.

From an availability standpoint, the former undrafted free agent is as reliable as they come. Speights has missed one game since turning pro. Counting the postseason, he has started in all of his last 30 games played. Last season, his regular-season snap count increased by 60 percent. 

More problematic are his lapses in coverage. Statistically, Speights fared just fine in 2025. Per PFF, his 90.8 passer rating allowed ranked 17th among 88 qualified off-ball linebackers. His coverage grade ranked inside the top third. 

The thing is, the numbers don't match the eye test or the complaints of agonized fans. Perhaps the Speights skepticism has ticked too far toward the negative, but overall he's probably average at best. He has committed some costly playoff blunders. 

There is a reason Rams fans circled Speights as a candidate to lose his spot on the depth chart. Up-and-coming linebackers Shaun Dolac and Nikhai Hill-Green could still keep the pressure on. 

The notion that one of them could unseat Speights, however, hasn't really gained steam during the summer. For now, it seems safe to conclude that he has done enough to remain the favorite as Rams training camp nears its August 7 conclusion. Good on him.

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