Amid roster "re-tool", these 3 LA Rams could enjoy a breakout 2023 season

Player 3: DB Cobie Durant

As soon as the Rams drafted DB Cobie Durant in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, out of HBCU South Carolina State, he immediately became a fan favorite. He even received a shout-out from NBA superstar Kevin Durant for the two sharing similar sir names. As well as having one of the coolest names in NFL history, Durant can flat-out ball.

Durant stood out at the NFL Combine with a 4.38 forty-yard dash, and he showed off that speed in his first NFL season. In Week 2 Durant picked off a pass from former Falcons QB Marcus Mariota, returning the pass for 54 yards before being brought down. He recorded a sack in this game as well. On Christmas Day against the Broncos, he intercepted Denver QB Brett Rypien and took it all the way for an 85-yard touchdown, a rare NFL achievement we affectionately refer to as a pick-six.

From injury to decent NFL debut

Cobie battled a hamstring injury earlier in the 2022 season which kept him out of the lineup for about four weeks. Upon his return, he was mostly relied on as a special teams player but made a tremendous impact when his number was called on for the defense. In a limited sample size, Durant recorded 22 total tackles, a sack, and was second on the team with 3 interceptions. He also led the entire league in interception return yards with 151. Durant accomplished these feats while only appearing in 7 games on defense.

Standing at 5'10 and 181 pounds Durant isn't the biggest corner, but his tenacious play style and athletic ability certainly make up for whatever he lacks in size. Durant reminds me a bit of former Rams CB Janoris Jenkins. A small school product with an aggressive play style who has a knack for coming up with the football.

Decobie Durant is in line to start at CB for the Rams in 2023, and if his 2022 season was a sign of things to come then Rams fans should be pretty excited. It will take a collection of players to make up for the impact of now Dolphins CB Jalen Ramsey. That collection of players starts with Durant.