3 vital lessons that LA Rams must learn from SB LVIII

II: Rams must get better production from tight end position

It truly was no coincidence that both the Kansas City Chiefs (TE Travis Kelce) and the San Francisco 49ers (TE George Kittle) made it to Super Bowl LVIII. For that matter, notice that they had to get past the Baltimore Ravens (TEs Mark Andrews and Isaiah Lively) and the Detroit Lions (TE Sam LaPorta) respectively. To succeed in the NFL, teams must have a top-notch tight end who can block, move the chains, and score in the red zone.

While I do not intend to accidentally throw shade at starting tight end Tyler Higbee, rookie tight end Davis Allen, backup TE Hunter Long, or any other tight end currently on the Rams roster, the lesson learned from SB LVIII was clear. The team simply does not boast the firepower at the tight end position that the other teams do. And if that trend continues, perhaps the team will fall behind in 2024.

While there are a number of intriguing prospects who are up for grabs in the 2024 NFL Draft, there is a great deal of pre-combine buzz over Georgia tight end Brock Bowers. As of right now, he is projected to be among the first 10 prospects selected, and that may only intensify after he is tested and evaluated during the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine.

The Rams were rumored to have attempted to trade up in Round 1 of the 2023 NFL Draft, with speculation that they were hoping to select Utah TE Dalton Kincaid. Kincaid was ultimately selected by the Buffalo Bills in Round 1 at the 25th overall selection. In 2023, Kincaid caught 73 of 91 passes for 673 yards and two touchdowns. While just a rookie, that is significantly better than any tight end on the Rams roster in 2023.

Perhaps rookie tight end Davis Allen can put up similar numbers if given a chance in 2024. But with both Tyler Higbee and Hunter Long recovering from injuries, the Rams may be wise to target a top-tier rookie tight end in the 2024 NFL Draft like Brock Bowers.