Rams rookies will astound fans with competitiveness in mini-camp

The LA Rams have restocked the roster and now must assess and assemble all of the new pieces into the most competitive team possible. While there are significantly more veterans on the team this year, the LA Rams rookie mini-camp promises to be surprising, competitive, captivating, and having checked out the calendar, is in close proximity.

Even as the team is coming off a 10-7 season that ended by rallying to win seven of the team's last eight games, there are 26 rookies on this team who will be competing in their first NFL training camp. How many will make the active 53-man roster? I believe that a dozen or more have a legitimate shot, and even more to be signed to the team's practice squad.

That creates a lot of introductions to get through. The handshakes and formal how-do-you-dos will occur on May 10-11 for Rams rookies:

If you want an instant reaction to drafted rookies, check out our 2024 NFL Draft tracker. If you want to read up on the 16 UDFA signings, check out our 2024 UDFA tracker. In each article, you will find a quick description of the players, why they intrigue the LA Rams, and how they may fit into the 2024 Rams roster

Let's break down the Rams rookies so that you know who they all are:

Offense (10)

Even as the offense remained fairly intact from 2023, the team did lose several players in the transition from 2023 to 2024 due to expired contracts and one player outright released. Overall, the need for the team in the offseason was primarily to enhance depth and improve durability. After all, three key offensive skill players lost playing time due to injury in 2023:

• QB Matthew Stafford - 1 game
• WR Cooper Kupp - 4 games
• RB Kyren Williams - 4 games

Due to the impact of injuries in 2023, the team focused on upgrading backups for 2024. That led to the team investing in backup QB Jimmy Garoppolo in free agency. But more areas needed attention. So let's look at the other areas addressed by rookies this offseason:

Offensive linemen (4)

• IOL Beaux Limmer (217th overall)
• OL KT Leveston (254th overall)
• IOL Justin Dedich (UDFA)
• OL Blake Larson (UDFA)

While the team added free agent left guard Jonah Jackson in free agency, the team lost backeup center Brian Allen (released), starting center Coleman Shelton (free agency), and backup interior offensive lineman Tremayne Anchrum Jr. (free agency). As a result, the Rams roster entered the draft with a deficit of two interior offensive linemen.

How important are these players? With exodus of three veterans, the team needs a transfusion of talent. But importing four offensive linemen is particularly critical as they allow OL Coach Ryan Wendall to improve the alignment of offensive line talent to his vision and philosophy. These are not just offensive linemen, but rather are physical power-houses who are incredibly strong and dominating on the line of scrimmage in their own right.

Tight ends (1)

• TE Neal Johnson - (UDFA)

While the team has a rather full tight end room for the 2024 NFL season, the expectation that starting tight end Tyler Higbee will not be ready for the start of the new season places pressure on the team to carry a heavier payload of tight ends on this roster.

At first glance, the team's tight end room appears to be bursting with the number of players. But closer inspection reveals that veteran Tyler Higbee will not participate in training camp due to his ACL Injury. Veteran Hunter Long may not be participating either. Introducing a rather productive tight end for training camp allows the team to work with a young player who will compete for a spot on the practice squad.

Wide receivers (4)

• WR Jordan Whittington (213th overall)
• WR JJ Laap (UDFA)
• WR Drake Stoops (UDFA)
• WR Sam Wiglusz (UDFA)

While the team has retained all but KR/PR/WR Austin Trammel for the 2024 NFL season, the team is wise to consider reinforcements for a new season. Ultimately, the team must keep one eye trained on the future, and there are signs that, if not reversed this season, could indicate that WR Cooper Kupp's best playing days are behind him. While WR Demarcus Robinson and Puka Nacua were very pleasant surprises last season, the team has yet to get much production from WR Tutu Atwell and WR Ben Skowronek.

The team only signed WR Xavier Smith to a Reserve/Future contract. Adding four wide receivers here at this juncture not only ensures a high level of competition in training camp, but ensures that the team can retain the best of the group via their 2024 practice squad.

Running backs (1)

• RB Blake Corum (83rds overall)

The LA Rams had to notice that offensive production plummeted whenever the team was unable to get RB Kyren Williams onto the football field in 2024. That proved to be a very complicated challenge for the team that pushed so many chips into depending on the offense to lead the way to postseason competition.

By adding a very formidable and versatile running back like Blake Corum, the offense adds a runner who is nearly unstoppable near the end zone, who can punish would be tacklers with his north-south style, and who is a triple-headed threat as a blocker, a receiver, and as a runner. Corum will not only do his part by carrying the football sell, but he will help to extend Kyren Williams ability to stay healthy throughout the season.

Defense (15)

The LA Rams did address the team's secondary in the offseason. But compared to over aspects of the team, the need to bolster the pass rush, and the loss of two starters on the defensive front who accounted for 1500 defensive snaps, the front seven on the defense had to be viewed as a significant need in this draft.

The loss of two starters, coupled with the huge chasm left behind on the roster filled by All-Pro DT Aaron Donald was a black hole of gravity that was no easy fix. The strategy employed by the team's personnel department to address the need with young rookies is a curious one. But the team did manage to land the best defender in the rookie class of 2023 in Kobie Turner. Could the team double down in 2024 and achieve the same results?

Defensive linemen (5)

• Defensive tackle Braden Fiske (39th overall)
• Defensive tackle Tyler Davis (196th overall)
• Defensive end Anthony Goodlow (UDFA)
• Defensive lineman Tuli Letuligasenoa (UDFA)
• Defensive tackle David Olajiga (UDFA)

It was clear that the LA Rams front office recognized the need to replenish the depleted ranks of defensive linemen in 2024. Having failed to add players before the draft, the team may no bones about their focus and have added five defensive linemen both during and after the 2024 NFL Draft.

Much fuss has been made over the team's willingness to pay a high premium to move up from 52 to 39 in Round 2 of the 2024 NFL Draft. But the team needed to ensure a starter on the defensive line who had the potential to have as productive of a season as NT Kobie Turner accomplished in 2023, and Braden Fiske was their guy all along. At the end of the day, the Rams front office landed their target.

Keep in mind that the team boasted just DT Cory Durden (Reserve), DT Larrell Murchison, NT Bobby Brown III, NT Kobie Turner, and DE Desjuan Johnson on the roster before the draft. Now the team has doubled that number. As a result, I could see multiple defensive linemen from the group making the team, perhaps as many as three earning their way onto the team's 53-man active roster.

Outside linebackers (2)

• Outside linebacker Jared Verse (19th overall)
• Outside linebacker Brennan Jackson (154th overall)

The LA Rams had plenty of depth at the outside linebacker position. Where the team struggled was in the quality of defensive snaps of those young outside linebackers. If not OLB Byron Young (8.0 quarterback sacks) or Michael Hoecht (6.0 quarterback sacks), the outside linebacker room struggled to put pressure on the quarterback.

As of right now, I see the team's rotation at the outside linebacker position consisting of Byron Young, Jared Verse, Michael Hoecht, and Brennan Jackson. And from that group, I can see the team putting up 25.0+ quarterback sacks in 2024. That is a huge spike in production, and does not include the impact of DL Kobie Turner in the upcoming season.

Inside linebackers (2)

• Elias Neal (UDFA)
• Omar Speights (UDFA)

While the LA Rams love what veteran ILB Ernest Jones brings to the defense, they certainly steered clear of adding any true competition or succession plan for his role in 2024. But the same cannot be said for his partner on the defense, the other ILB position. While the team seemed content to toggle between either Troy Reeder and Christian Rozeboom in 2023, the addition of Elias Neal and Omar Speights to the team's inside linebacker room elevates the level of competition.

Keep in mind that the team also love Reserve/Future contracted ILB Olakunle Fatukasi, so there could be a surprise or two when the team makes the decisions for the initial 53-man active roster.

Defensive backs (6)

• Defensive back Kamren Kinchens (99th overall)
• DB Cam Lampkin (UDFA)
• DB Kenny Logan Jr. (UDFA)
• DB Jaylen McCullough (UDFA)
• DB Josh Wallace (UDFA)
• DB Charles Woods (UDFA)

Even as the team paid the least for their 2023 season secondary, yet still got impressive results, the front office has invested heavily into the secondary for new DC Chris Shula's inaugural season of calling defensive plays. The team wasted no time in signing free agent veterans Darious Williams, Tre'Various White, and Kamren Curl to upgrade the defensive back room. The makeover was completed with the selection of ball-hawking defensive back Kamren Kinchens at the end of Round 3 in this draft.

While Kinchens is the crown jewel of the secondary's rookie class of 2024, he is not the only gem. This team added a half dozen new competitors for training camp, and you can bet that some of the other players will compete hard enough to land a roster spot on the practice squad at a minimum.

Special teams (1)

The LA Rams did no favors for ST Coordinator Chase Blackburn in 2023. The team allowed every veteran special team player to sign with new teams, forcing Blackburn to restock the entire special team roster from scratch. As if that was not bad enough, the team invested just one pick in Round 7 for punter Ethan Evans.

Kicker - (1)

• Kicker Joshua Karty (209th overall)

The LA Rams needed a new kicker for 2024, and the consensus among fans was an agreement that the extension of kicker Tanner Brown for the 2024 NFL season was merely a placeholder for the team. Now with Karty onboard, training camp sets the stage for heated competition. Stanford kicker Joshua Karty was the best kicker in the 2024 NFL Draft, and he now has the opportunity to prove his value and competence by winning the starting role for the LA Rams.

Summary

The Rams needed to find several starters in the 2024 NFL Draft, and round out the depth at key positions. As it now stands, this team could have up to seven rookie starters in 2024, and perhaps double that number of rookies could make the 53-man active roster.

The key to building an NFL Championship team is more than accumulating elite players. A savvy NFL GM like Les Snead realizes that there is just as much positive impact to the roster by focusing attention to the bottom tiers of the 53-man roster as well. In fact, it was the Rams depth at wide receiver and in the secondary that afforded the team a chance to compete in, and win, Super Bowl LVI.