4 internal candidates who could fill in at LA Rams ILB post-trade

(2) - ILB Jake Hummel

While veteran ILB Jake Hummel has been with the team since he was signed after the 2022 NFL Draft, he has made a real push for playing time this year. A 6-foot-1 227-pound inside linebacker who has stuck with the team, Hummel showed up large and in charge this preseason. chalking up seven tackles and earning a PFF overall preseason grade of 90.7.

Hummel is likely the most logical choice to slide into Jones' role if the team satisfies his request to trade him. He would be the logical choice because it would allow the team to maintain ILB Christian Rozeboom in his current role. And having played for the Rams in two preview seasons, he has a firm grasp of the defense, at least he can reasonably be expected to understand how to call the defensive plays.

(1) - ILB Christian Rozeboom

The fourth and final option for the team is to simply pivot to the other starting inside linebacker Christian Rozeboom. Rozeboom was signed after the 2020 NFL Draft, alongside DT/OLB Michael Hoecht. As such, he is one of the senior veterans on this defense. Rozeboom did have a short stint with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2021, but eventual returned to the Rams.

Rozeboom stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 237 pounds. He started five games for the Rams in 2023, racking up 79 tackles and picking off one pass. He even broke up four passes last season. Rozeboom was more frequently used in pass coverage, allowing 39 of 49 targets to find their mark (a 79.6 percent completion rate). While he is the most seasoned veteran on the team, I'm unconvinced that he has the bone-jarring tackling needed to take over for Jones.

My preferences for Ernest Jones replacement in order are:

1. ILB Omar Speights
2. ILB Jake Hummel
3. ILB Elias Neal
4. ILB Christian Rozeboom

But as you can see by the order of candidates in this article, I fear the Rams will have a different perspective.

As always, thanks for reading.