5 huge talking points from Rams' preseason victory over the Cowboys

(4) - Rookie WR Jordan Whittington flashing star power

Not every player in Game 1 of the LA Rams preseason is fighting for a roster spot. It was pretty obvious that rookie wide receiver Jordan Whittington has a roster slot signed, sealed, and ready to be delivered already. But he is still a rookie after all. And on the Rams depth chart, he is buried behind the likes of Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua, and Demarcus Robinson, and competing for targets and offensive snaps with veteran Tutu Atwell and Tyler Johnson.

So getting work wherever and whenever he can is a good thing. And he was getting plenty of work in the first preseason game of the season:

Whittington seemed to be a man playing among 'boys (pun intended) in this one. His ability to break tackles and catch passes in traffic was on full display. He had a solid first half:

Will it be enough to earn him playing time when the season starts? Perhaps not. If the Rams default to their 11-personnel package, the offense will field WRs Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua, and Demarcus Robinson. And for a change of pace, the team may swap out Robinson with Tutu Atwell. As solid as Whittington looks in preseason, he is not going to crack that lineup on his own merits.

That is not to say that he won't see any playing time. The Rams offense will afford some breaks to the starters to give them a rest to manage their workload, and Whittington could take advantage of the opportunity to get some offensive snaps and even attract some targets his way. But as it stands, he will not be a high-volume receiver in the offense in 2024.