LA Rams DL Coach Eric Henderson has outdone himself in 2023

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Rams DL is a testament to Coach Henny's vision

By mid October 2023, the LA Rams was still getting acclimated to life in the NFL. The33rdteam.com was less than impressed, and on November 10, 2023, ranked the LA Rams defensive line 25th best out of 32 teams. Ah, but that was then, this is now.

The LA Rams never expected to slam into 2023 by sprinting. This is a young team, bursting with rookies and first season veterans, and the Rams knew that it would take time to get this team synchronized. Complicating matters further is the fact that many of the Rams key positional coaches were new to the team this season as well. But this was nothing new for Coach Henny. He has been tasked with turning the water of new prospects into the fine wine of NFL level players practically each year.

An impressive cast of anonymous NFL players

But before we go down the path of touting this Rams defensive line, let's pause a moment to briefly introduce and recap who these players are, and give you a bit of data to see their production so far this season:

Name	Posn	Yrs in NFL	Snaps	Tackles	Sacks	TFL	QB Hits
Aaron Donald	DT	10	648	43	6.0	13	21
Earnest Brown IV	DE	1 *	30	2	0.0	0	0
Desjuan Johnson	DE	R	63	5	1.0	1	1
Jonah Williams	DE	3	440	38	2.0	4	3
Larrell Murchison	DT	4	172	12	0.0	1	0
Bobby Brown III	NT	3	218	18	0.5	2	1
Kobie Turner	NT	R	486	47	5.5	5	8
Marquise Copeland	DT	3	11	1	0.0	0	0
Cory Durden	DT	R	44	3	0.0	0	0

* denotes NFL veteran with previous PS seasons

The Rams deploy a 3-4 base defense which is an ideal odd-man front to give outside linebackers ideal position to attack the quarterback. But he LA Rams are not content to leave the responsibility of getting after the quarterback to the edge rushers. The Rams down linemen play a huge role in pressuring the quarterback as well.

But take note of how effective Coach Henny is at involving all of his players. Even practice squad players line DT Marquise Copeland and Cory Durden have been involved in the Rams defensive line rotations. That's one of the qualities about Henny that is so admirable. He sets a high bar, and demands a lot from his players. But he gives them opportunities, and allows them to earn a greater role in the rotation.

Now let's consider how effective Coach Eric Henderson has been at developing his players.

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