Don't discount the DAWGWORK effect on LA Rams young defensive line.

Have the LA Rams front office slipped their gears when it comes to drafting viable rookies? Or, as I have suggested in the past, have the changes at so many positional coaches depleted the critical skillsets of the Rams coaching staff, and their abilities to manage coaching up raw rookies into dependable and confident NFL players?

To test the theory of whether it may be the drafting experts or positional coaches, one positional coach who has remained on the LA Rams coaching staff while performing at the top of his game is Coach Eric Henderson. You may note that I am a strong advocate of Coach Henny, not just because of the bandwagon effect of jumping aboard the fans of one of the most successful coaches in the NFL, but because he continues to deliver a meaningful message with all the charisma and allure of an elder statesman.

So who does Coach Henny have to work with this season? They are:

Rams roster: Defensive line

1. Earnest Brown IV | DE | 6-foot-5 | 275 lbs | Year 1 | Northwestern
2. T.J. Carter | DE | 6-foot-4 | 289 lbs | Year 3 | Kentucky
3. Desjuan Johnson | DE | 6-foot-3 | 252 lbs | Rookie | Toledo
4. Bobby Brown III | DT | 6-foot-4 | 324 lbs | Year 3 | Texas A&M
5. Marquise Copeland | DT | 6-foot-2 | 287 lbs | Year 3 | Cincinnati
6. Aaron Donald | DT | 6-foot-1 | 280 lbs | Year 10 | Pittsburgh
7. Larrell Murchison | DT | 6-foot-2 | 297 lbs | Year 4 | N.C. State
8. Taron Vincent | DT | 6-foot-1 | 305 lbs | Rookie | Ohio State
9. Jonah Williams | DT | 6-foot-5 | 275 lbs | Year 3 | Weber State
10. Kobie Turner | DT | 6-foot-2 | 288 lbs | Rookie | Wake Forest

The LA Rams are likely to keep six players on the active roster. Based on what we know now, that will likely translate into the following:

Starters - Aaron Donald, Bobby Brown III, Kobie Turner/Marquise Copeland
Backups - Larrell Murchison, Taron Vincent, Jonah Williams
Reserves/Practice squad - Earnest Brown IV, Desjuan Johnson, Jonah Williams

Does this LA Rams defensive line have a chance to impress this year? Pro Football Focus does not think so, as they have the LA Rams defensive line unit projected to finish no better than 22nd in 2023. While I am not ready to project this group among the NFL's Top-10 defensive lines, I do believe that the group will finish strong and end the season among the Top-15 DLs.

While more subjective projection than objective and historical production, I believe that Bobby Brown III will step up this year into a dominating nose tackle for the LA Rams. And, of course, the Rams expect a sizeable rebound year from Aaron Donald, and I believe that he will deliver, again. The question mark for the group is how the combination of Marquise Copeland and rookie Kobie Turner deliver.

If they can stuff the run and generate some quarterback pressure, this could be a fun group. Stay tuned!