The Rams trusts the future to untested young players, including Stetson Bennett

ILB Omar Speights

While the LA Rams did not draft an inside linebacker during the 2024 NFL Draft, the team did address the position. Twice in fact. The front office signed Marshall rookie ILB Elias Neal to the team, and also added LSU rookie ILB Omar Speights to the team. At the time, the team was committed to veteran ILB Ernest Jones, and the truth is that four inside linebackers were on the depth chart ahead of both Neal and Speights.

So the chances of either getting past the practice squad appeared very remote, at best. But things rapidly changed.

Three things changed, in fact. The team had to endure a lingering knee injury to ILB Ernest Jones, a recurring injury that would not only hinder him from participating in important installs through training camp, but would hamper his command of a brand new defense. After all, he was added to run former DC Raheem Morris's defense. The new Chris Shula defense was brand new.

Another new development was the interest of the team in extending ILB Ernest Jones. Typically, extensions are signed after a player's third season. But this team, despited publicly saying that negotiations would occur at the end of the 2024 NFL season, seemed less and less likely. The team's new defensive scheme emphasized safeties.

Ernest Jones is an inside linebacker.

Then the unthinkable happened. Both undrafted rookie inside linebackers Omar Speights and Elias Neal performed undeniably well in preseason. So well, in fact that the idea of not extending Ernest Jones was not longer an option. It became inevitable. And so, GM Les Snead does what he does best. He moved instantly to distance the team from Ernest Jones.

The present may belong to ILBs Christian Rozeboom and Troy Reeder. But the future belongs to ILBs Omar Speights and Elias Neal.