7 Rams must defy the odds and win a 2024 roster spot, even Stetson Bennett?

III: RB Zach Evans

It hardly seems good sportsmanship to see second-year running back Zach Evans on this list, but such is the competitive nature of the NFL when the team he plays for not only drafts a highly talented teammate for 2024, but doubles down by signing a versatile and dangerous veteran rotational player who will give the team both an offensive and special teams boost.

Of course, unlike some players on this list whose contract is down to the final year, Evans remains a young and competitive player returning for just his second season for the team. Even still, it is impossible to ignore the fact that at a time of critical need with the top two running backs injured, the team did not have the confidence to give Evans a shot at handling the load. He was active for only 16 offensive snaps, carrying the football nine times, and churning out just 19 yards.

He wasn't ready yet. Strike one.

While he seemed to be a potential steal in the 2023 NFL Draft, that potential is masked by actual production. Evans was expected to be an instant NFL performer, a runner who would take to the pros like a baby duck takes to water. But when the team needed runners to fill in the gap for the injured pair of RBs, the front office had to look outside of the team and import runners off the streets.

A disappointing rookie season can take one of two paths. Either the heartbreak cripples the player's drive and enthusiasm, and they simply fade away. Or the resistance can trigger a far more competitive fight, bringing focus and purpose to offseason training exercises that result in a far better prepared player in Year 2. So far, early reports indicate that Zach Evans is in a far better place in 2024.

But competition for a spot is much greater. Even if Evans is much better, he may still fall short.