Which of these 7 LA Rams rookies will take a huge step forward in 2024?

There are plenty of accomplishments from the LA Rams rookie class of 2023 to acknowledge and applaud. And if the LA Rams entered the 2023 NFL season with a belief that 2023 was another playoff season, then it's quite likely that the LA Rams would be going all-in again. That may have changed the Rams' entire approach to the 2023 NFL Trade Deadline. To be clear, perhaps the LA Rams front office would have been more inclined to make those headlining blockbuster trades that would have brought another big-name NFL star to the LA Rams roster.

But that may have impacted this team in ways that we can only guess. You see, you can't change history in any 'What if . . . ?" scenario without acknowledging that everything is therefore subject to change. After all, how can a rookie learn to compete in the NFL if never given a chance to compete in the NFL?

Sometimes, the best course of action is to sit and wait. Not every challenge, problem, or hurdle has an immediate fix. Not all ailments have a magic pill or injection that cures all symptoms. Sometimes in life, the best response is to let nature run its course. And in the case of the LA Rams, a team that definitely needed rookies to take up the yolk of carrying this team, the Rams have proof positive evidence that the right rookies can do exactly that.

Not every rookie who competed for a roster spot on the LA Rams roster earned a roster spot. In many ways, the competition for a spot on the Rams roster in 2023 was incredibly fierce, because there were far fewer veterans with an inside track for a significant role. Furthermore, the Rams coaching staff was prepared to raise the bar for players in training camp, so that by the time the season arrived, it would do so without a hitch.

But after all that painstaking work to get ready to play in 2023, which rookies will overshoot expectations in 2024? Which players have likely already plateaued? And are their new faces from the group who may ascend to a significant role simply from having more time to develop and learn about the NFL?

9 LA Rams rookies who take a huge step in 2024:

1. Rams stars shine brightly in the dark skies of 2023
2. IX: Impressed in 2023. Perform in 2024?
3. VIII: He gave Special Teams a kick in the pants
4. VII: He's back for Round II
5. VI: Don't discount this DL for 2024
6. V: Necessity could pave his way in 2024
7. IV: Call he top his rookie record setting season?
8. III: This rookie should be talked about more
9. II: The Conductor
10. I: The off-field smile, the on-field snarl

Rams stars shine brightly in the dark skies of 2023

The LA Rams made 14 selections in the 2023 NFL Draft, all of them ending up on the team's 53-man active roster, and many of them either started or earned significant rotational roles for the team over the course of the season. Still, many Rams fans only believe what they saw in their first year in the NFL, and struggle to envision bigger and brighter days for the team's young stars.

But let me state with all the confidence in the world, as good as the first-year stars were in 2023, they will be far more impressive in 2024. How can I certain of events that have not happened yet? While this rookie class has not yet seen their second year of NFL play, hundreds of rookie classes in the past have done so. The trajectory of those rookies were consistent - Year 2 was consistently more productive than Year 1.

For a sample of just how well the young players performed in 2023, let's take a look at how the team's rookies were performing compared to their peers as the team reached a record of 6-6. There is not one, but two 2023 rookie sack leaders on the Rams roster, a clear indication that despite a .500 record, the team had some horsepower among the rookie class.

By the time the Rams faced the AFC-leading Baltimore Ravens, the young guns were starting to blaze. Just to refresh everyone's memory, let's rewind the calendar and check out the post-game grades from Pro Football Focus for that game.

Unlike many teams that rely upon veterans to carry the team to the NFL Playoffs, the winning strategy in 2023 for the Rams roster relied upon both veterans and youth to carry the team into 2023.

We already had offered an article covering 3 rookies who are poised to have breakout seasons in 2024. The difference in this article is that this is more than just showing up on the team's statistics page. These players may or may not start, but the decision as to whether their 2024 performance exceeds their 2023 season is up to you, the reader, to decide. I am merely making a case for you, the reader, to consider. So, let's get to it:

IX: Impressed in 2023. Perform in 2024?

When the LA Rams drafted rookie defensive back Jason Taylor II, the move appeared to be about adding depth to the team's secondary, and perhaps luck into a potential contributor for special teams. But some events are aligning that could afford Taylor a golden opportunity to earn significant playing time in 2024.

In our recent 10 bold predictions for the LA Rams, we believe that the team will allow all four defensive backs on expiring contracts to test their value in the 2024 NFL Free Agency market. The team has not made it a habit to extend defensive backs in the past, and that could swing the door wide open for Jason Taylor for 2024.

He didn't see much in terms of playing time in 2023. He was on the football field for 39 defensive snaps and 111 special team snaps. He put up five tackles, allowed the lone pass thrown his way to find its mark, and fought off injuries that sidelined him for 10 weeks.

But he had great reports on his progress coming out of the team's training camp. And occasionally, a bit of spotlight feature appeared on social media:

The missing ingredients for Jason Taylor II in 2023 were durability and opportunity. I believe that he gets both back in 2024, affording him a real opportunity to earn playing time. The 6-foot-0 204-pound defensive back had a full season to acclimate to playing in the NFL. I think he could step into a rotational role for the team in 2024. Do you?

VIII: He gave Special Teams a kick in the pants

The tarnish on the special teams performance in 2023 has dulled the luster and shine of rookie punter Ethan Evans. But let me tell you, this guy is absolutely a unicorn. He was outstanding, and the coaching staff simply needs to figure out a strategy to build up a coverage team that can take full advantage of this guys 155-mm artillery gun of a kicking leg.

In the raw punting for 2023, Ethan Evans finished the 2023 season with a gross punting average of 49.3 yards per punt. That was good enough for 10-best in the league, and happened in his first year in the league. All in all, Evans was a solid addition to a rather shaky special teams group.,

But there could be more bright lights in the immediate future for Ethan Evans. He also handled kickoff duties as well. That is not something that typically happens in the NFL, and for good reason. Punting the football is a different kicking technique than kicking a football off a tee. Imagine the differences involved in swinging a baseball bat versus swinging a tennis racket. Both instruments employ the swinging motion of the arm, amplified by the power inherent in either the bat or tennis racket.

But a baseball swing is designed to power a baseball over the outfield fence. A tennis racket is designed to allow greater accuracy with a tennis ball, and allows the player to apply ball 'english,' which is the term used to identify the spin of the ball when it leaves the racket.

Kicking off the tee involves kicking the ball straight with power. Punting the football involves a higher arc, more hang time, and more accuracy at kicking the football out of bounds as close to the end zone as possible. Punting hang time and accuracy improves over time. That is why Ethan Evans could be on track for a far more impressive 2024. Do you think he can deliver?

VII: He's back for Round II

It seemed as though the theme for the team's starting placekicking duties in 2023 was based on the Hokey Pokey. That is, the team placed a kicker into the starting kicker role but eventually removed him due to a less-than-satisfactory performance. By year's end, the team had trialed nearly a dozen kickers, signed four different kickers to the roster, and had two different kickers kick for the team. Even with the team toggling between veteran kickers Brett Maher and Lucas Havrisik, the team began the season where it had ended.

With rookie kicker Tanner Brown as the only placekicker on the Rams roster, does that mean that the team is done searching? I don't think so. But there clearly was no incentive for the team to re-sign him to the roster, even on a Reserve/Future contract, just to give the guy something to do in the offseason.

Tanner Brown may not have won the team's kicking job in 2023, but I don't see how his return can be interpreted as anything more than a chance to earn the job for 2024. And he has the collegiate accolades and track record that could make him a dark horse candidate for the job:

If the hardest part of a rookie kicker's experience in the NFL is showing up on game day and failing, then Tanner Brown has certainly checked that box. I'm not trying to persuade anyone that he is the right guy for the job. I'm simply stating that it's clear from their actions of bring him back that the coaches and the team's front office believes he deserves a second look.

VI: Don't discount this DL for 2024

Even as Toledo defensive lineman Desjuan Johnson was the last to hear his name called out in the 2023 NFL Draft, that only galvanized his resolve to earn his place on the Rams roster and perform so well that his coaches would have a tough time placing him back on the bench.

This 6-foot-3 252-pound defensive end was the 259th player selected, but he did manage to earn a spot on the team's 53-man roster. Even after his selection, he had a tough time finding playing time in the rotation. But he was hungry, and that is something that former DL Coach Eric Henderson rewards handsomely.

He appeared in 11 games, and was only on the football field for 102 defensive snaps. But my oh my, did he ever manage to make them count. By season's end, he had nine tackles, 2.0 quarterback sacks, three quarterback pressures, and one quarterback hurry. Seldom seeing more playing time than 10 defensive snaps in a game, he played 11 defensive snaps against the Pittsburgh Steelers (one tackle), 22 defensive snaps against the Arizona Cardinals (two tackles, one quarterback sack, one tackle for a loss), and 29 defensive snaps against the San Francisco 49ers (two tackles, one quarterback sack, one forced fumble)

Johnson has a quality last seen in former Rams DE Morgan Fox, which is a player who shows up on a football field bigger than his profile might suggest. Johnson was somebody who impressed in 2023, and his playing time and role grew as the season rolled along. He could be someone who springboards off his impressive performance in 2023 to a more significant role and performance in 2024.

V: Necessity could pave his way in 2024

When rookie TE Davis Allen was given a chance to perform, he did not disappoint. The only challenge in the 2023 NFL season was the absence of opportunities. It wasn't the fact that he couldn't do the job. The matter seemed to fall into that nebulous category of a lack of opportunities. After all, he was not competing against veteran TE Tyler Higbee for targets, but against WR Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua, and even Tutu Atwell for targets as well.

He did see action in 192 offensive snaps and 104 special teams snaps in 2023. So while we are looking over the team's use of tight ends last season, why not compare them all in one data table?

Even if he was the lowest player on the initial depth chart for the 2023 NFL season, he certainly did nothing to justify keeping him on the bench. And as he earned a larger share of playing time, the team improved as well. He even started in Week 18, and helped to lead the team to a 21-20 victory over their hated NFC West Division rivals, the San Francisco 49ers.

As it stands now, Brycen Hopkins's contract expires at the end of this season, and there is little evidence for the team to re-sign him. Both Tyler Higbee and Hunter Long ended 2023 on Injured Reserve, and there is no certainty that either will be healthy for the 2024 season, let alone for OTAs and training camp. That all but ensures that Davis Allen will command a great deal of attention in the 2024 offense.

In 2023, the opportunity created by injured veterans allowed Puka Nacua to breat All-Time NFL Rookie Receiving records. I would not go so far as to suggest that Davis Allen will lead the league in any offensive category. But an opportunity to start could open the door to his leading all tight ends in receptions, yards, and touchdowns on the team's roster.

And speaking of record setters . . .

IV: Call he top his rookie record setting season?

It would have been absurd to tout rookie wide receiver as the NFL's All-Time Rookie Leader in receiving yards, but that is exactly how the season turned out for the 177th pick of the 2023 NFL Draft. And the ability to find elite talent late on Day 3 is why I scoff at any assertion that the Rams roster suffered from not having a pick in Round 1 of drafts that ran from 2017 through 2022.

Rookie WR Puka Nacua is not higher on this list for two reasons. The first is simply a matter of practicality. Can a young man who set the All-Time NFL Rookie Receiver Yards and Receptions record truly be held to a standard of top that?

2023 created a blending of factors for a perfect storm: Including a pass-proficient offense, a healthy elite quarterback in Matthew Stafford, and the absence of All-Pro WR Cooper Kupp for the first month of the 2023 NFL season. Those factors all contributed to a stellar Nacua debut in professional football, a debut that is highly unlikely to repeat itself in 2024.

Having a better 2024 season is relative after all, isn't it? I mean, the totals from 2023 that amounted to 105 catches out of 160 targets, 1,486 yards, and six touchdowns, is the type of performance that earns huge paydays if that player were to hit the 2024 NFL Free Agency market. The thing is, Puka Nacua remains on his rookie contract for three more seasons, until the end of 2026.

Just to be clear, Puka Nacua was the fourth-best WR in the NFL at any age, and at any experience level. Only Miami Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill, Dallas Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb, and Detroit Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown gained more yards in 2023. That means that any call for Nacua to be better in 2024 is asking him to outperform NFL elite receivers for a second consecutive season.

I don't want to say that he cannot. I'm simply a bit more realistic in setting expectations for him this year.

III: This rookie should be talked about more

One of the players who really has NFL star potential in my opinion is outside linebacker Byron Young While his first year in the NFL with 8.0 quarterback sacks and 61 tackles is the stuff that would make a seasoned NFL veteran proud, he was simply making his introductions to the NFL. The best is yet to come.

Still, I am mildly surprised that there has not been much said about the team's rookie edge rusher. For a first-year outside linebacker, he had a monster season, and that is true whether he was the first player taken off the board in the 2023 NFL Draft, or the last player. While he did lose the competition for most QB sacks to teammate Kobie Turner (9.0 sacks), he did tie the total put up by All-Pro DL Aaron Donald (8.0 sacks)

Some have discounted his performance as too dependent on the 'Aaron Donald' effect. So let's run some comparisons against some other edge rushers, all of whom were veterans, who played alongside Donald. For this table, years of experience means how long was that player in the NFL when they lined up alongside Aaron Donald. They are:

The career path of edge rushers in the NFL runs a very similar track. Year 2 of their careers almost invariably is a far more productive year for the player than their rookie season. And even as many believe that the front office must acquire pass rusher Brian Burns in the offseason, why isn't more being said over the fact that Byron Young matches Burn in almost all categories except QB hits and TFLs?

I really love the mindset of Byron Young. Unlike many who play the position for the next lucrative contract, Byron Young plays out of a love for the game. You can see it in how hard he makes an effort on each play, and how quickly he closes the distance between himself and the quarterback.

I believe that he can put up 12.0+ QB sacks in 2024. But he will have stiff competition.

II: The Conductor

The truth of rookie nose tackle Kobie Turner's absolute dominance at the line of scrimmage in his rookie season is historical fact. Where the speculation begins is how far can he grow in Year 2 of his NFL career? The guy debuted with 57 tackles and 9.0 quarterback sacks, all in the course of 697 defensive snaps. That works out to just 62 percent of the time.

That is mind-blowing.

And before someone rushes in to point out that he gets plenty of opportunities to get after the quarterback thanks to offensive linemen focusing on double-teaming his teammate Aaron Donald, the truth of the matter is that Kobie Turner (72 percent) was double-teamed more often than teammate Aaron Donald (63 percent) last season, per ESPN Analytics.

Even facing two offensive linemen, Kobie Turner wasted no time putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

I: The off-field smile, the on-field snarl

While I have a great deal of respect for the Rams rookie interior offensive lineman Steve Avila, I think that his performance in 2023 was truly just the tip of the iceberg. He had a lot to pick up in his rookie season. Even with all of that on his plate, he showed up time and time again in my post-game reviews as a player who sought to engage in that extra block, who would keep his head on a swivel and rush to help out a teammate.

As some elder family members would often inform me if I was particularly industrious: "He likes to stay busy." That was certainly the case for Avila, a young man who truly had great optics for his role in 2023. And while he did not necessarily get high marks consistently in 2023, I do believe that the foundation is laid, the stage is set, and the 6-foot-3, 332-pound offensive guard will show up and dominate in 2024.

Whether or not you accept his grade, Pro Football Focus assigned Steve Avila a grade of 61.1 for his 2023 performance, As part of their assessment, they attributed two quarterback sacks and two penalties as his responsibility, in 1,147 offensive snaps. That seems to warrant a far higher grade in my honest opinion, but that is their determination.

What I am most looking forward to in 2024 is seeing how the offensive line performs as a group once more. Even as the group was essentially six guys who mixed and matched all 17 games (with one or two exceptions), Avila was the rock of dependency, showing up to play and start in each and every game.

The Steve Avila who lines up next season is not the same player who lined up last season. He has 17 games and well over 1200 offensive snaps against some of the best NFL defensive linemen. That is not experience lost. It's all there, and will be the foundation that he will build on for this year's performance.

Offensive lineman is a tough role to master as a rookie. The job needs more than personal performance, but requires high levels of understanding the capabilities of teammates, diagnosing what defenses are trying to do, communicating with others, and recognizing patterns and moves of defenders. The more experience an offensive lineman has, the more polished their performance.

I believe that Steve Avila is the most likely to take a huge step forward in 2024. Do you agree? Who do you believe will have the most significant improvement in 2024 over their 2023 performance? Let us know in the comments section of our Facebook page.

And thanks for reading.