5 LA Rams 2nd-year sleepers will show up big in 2024, inc. OLB Nick Hampton

2 - TE Davis Allen

Rookie tight end Davis Allen out of Clemson stands 6-foot-6 and weighs 245 pounds, and was added to the roster as a preemptive replacement for Brycen Hopkins. Large enough to contribute as an in-line blocker, Allen possesses the rare soft-hands that quarterbacks love to find in a receiver. And while Allen was never given much of an opportunity in 2023, whenever the ball was in his neighborhood, he came down with the catch.

Despite a lack of work, rookie tight end Davis Allen was nearly infalliable. Out of 22 passes thrown his way from preseason to postseason, Allen failed to catch just one pass. That works out to a better than 95 percent catch rate. Now, how in heaven's name can the coaching staff keep that type of production off the football field this season?

Let's break down the stats for you with a bit more detail:

• Preseason: 9 targets | 9 catches | 59 yards | 0 TDs | 100 percent catch rate
• Regular season: 11 targets | 10 catches | 95 yards | 1 TD | 90.9 percent catch rate
• Postseason: 2 targets | 2 catches | 28 yards | 0 TDs | 100 percent catch rate.

Even with the team investing in free agent tight end Colby Parkinson, and in light of the fact that this team expects starting TE Tyler Higbee to return to health at some point in the season, I don't see how Allen can possibly be the third or fourth option in the tight end room when he stepped up and delivered at every opportunity.

And that was only out of 192 offensive snaps in 2023.

What happens if Allen sees 500+ offensive snaps this season? And what happens if he is targeted 50 times? If he sustains that 90.0+ catch rate, he could end up with 45+ catches, 400+ receiving yards, and 5+ touchdowns. Starting tight end Tyler Higbee matched or beat that level of production just twice over the span of eight-season career.

Yes, the tight end room is crowded. The Rams invested in Colby Parkinson, traded for veteran TE Hunter Long in 2023, and expect starting tight end Tyler Higbee to suit up at some point in time this season. But Davis Allen may be better than all of them.