10 underrated moves the LA Rams made in 2023 offseason

VIII - Drafted punter Ethan Evans

I am the last guy to promote using a draft pick for a special teams specialist, but I am never afraid to admit that I was wrong. I believe that in the case of drafting punter Ethan Evans, the LA Rams may have made one of their better selections in the 2023 NFL Draft. Now, here's why I am softening my stance so dramatically:

Punting the football is an underappreciated skill in the NFL. The very nature of hoofing the football to the opposing team is a surrender of sorts, an event where the offense taps out and turns to the defense to try to bail them out. But there is a bit of chess-like strategy to punting as well. If all other factors are equal except for punting, the team with the better punter will win. How so?

Strategic investment

Well, some games turn into a combat of field position, a trade-off of punts until one team scores. But if one team's punter booms a 60-yard punt, while the other team punts just 45 yards, the first team has a 15-yard advantage in field position. And some games simply come down to that. Now the question is, can Ethan Evans deliver those punts that translate into an advantage in field position?

Check out these punts from Ethan Evans:

With more than enough questions over the Rams defense, special teams and specifically punting will play a huge factor in the Rams chances of success this year. Can Ethan Evans deliver those long high-arching coffin-corner punts in the NFL? The Rams are betting on Ethan Evans, and I believe that they are right.