Can you guess who on the LA Rams roster appears on the NFLPA Rookie Premiere Player list?

You can learn something new every day. For me, that list can grow pretty quickly from the moment that the coffee kicks in until the mid-afternoon droopsies start to shut down my brain functions. I love to read about the LA Rams, not just to see 'what's out there,' but to get a more-rounded perspective about the team. Occasionally, I get a gem that gives me something new about the NFL at large. That is what happened to me recently.

The latest NFLPA Rookie Premiere Player List is out and cites 45 rookies who are projected to make their mark in the NFL throughout their careers. The funny thing is, there is only one player selected by the LA Rams who appears on that list. 10 running backs appear on the list, but Ole Miss running back Zach Evans, regarded by many to be among the Top 5 rushers from the 2023 NFL Draft class, is nowhere to be found.

That same list names 16 wide receivers as well. But BYU wide receiver Puka Nacua, who was selected by one of the more prolific NFL passing offenses in the last 10 years of the NFL, did not appear on the list. That same list has four tight ends and three defenders who will line up on the line of scrimmage, but neither group names a single rookie selected by the LA Rams.

NFLPA names a surprising LA Rams rookie

The LA Rams chose three rookies from the draft board before selecting former Georgia QB Stetson Bennett with the 128th overall pick in Round 4 of the 2023 NFL Draft, but it is Bennett who made the NFLPA Rookie Premiere Player List. While I have read many comments that have singled out Bennett as the least favorite prospect chosen by the team during the draft, there is growing evidence that the Rams may have chosen wisely.

Of course, the only way to gather real evidence that Stetson Bennett is to see him play lights out, which would require some cessation of play by LA Rams veteran starting quarterback Matthew Stafford. That is a very bad path leading to unwelcome outcomes, so we can all rest easy knowing that uncertainty about Stetson Bennett means a better chance of success for the Rams season.

For now, we wait and hope for the best. But there is a sense that a young quarterback who can pilot the same college football team to consecutive NCAA National Championships is no slouch in the pocket. Will that be enough to ensure a successful NFL career? It may not be, but it's certainly a great starting point.