Rams 53-man roster prediction entering Week 3 of the preseason

The preseason is somehow almost over. The Los Angeles Rams have one more game, on August 27 against the Chargers, and then it's off to roster cutdowns.

Who makes the team? Who doesn't? Which positions will the Rams prioritize?

Will recent draft picks get the axe? Which veterans just missed a spot? Which players could begin the year hurt (or suspended)? Who will their replacements be?

The roster prediction below attempts to answer those questions and more as we gear up for an ever-nearing date in Melbourne, Australia, to kick off the regular season.

Rams 53-man roster prediction as preseason winds down

Quarterback (3)

Matthew Stafford, Stetson Bennett, Ty Simpson

Not much to say here … well, actually there might be a little. Stafford is the reigning MVP. Bennett will be the backup unless head coach Sean McVay tells us otherwise. Simpson will continue developing.

The main question is whether Stafford can stay healthy, and after that, is there another quarterback on the roster who can capably handle a series or a drive - or heaven help us, a whole game - if QB1 gets dinged?

Bennett shone at times in his preseason performance against the Saints; he also struggled with ball placement on multiple throws downfield. Hopefully Stafford stays out of the blue medical tent and we never have to find out.

Running back (3)

Kyren Williams, Blake Corum, Ronnie Rivers

This is a tough one. Cutting Jarquez Hunter, a fourth-round pick in 2025, hurts. Rivers has almost certainly locked up a roster spot, however, given that he hasn't appeared in either preseason game.

The Rams value his veteran experience and special-teams contributions. Hunter was a non-factor as a rookie. Despite a nice Week 2 showing in the preseason, ultimately the team uses his roster spot elsewhere.

Wide receiver (6)

Puka Nacua, Davante Adams, Jordan Whittington, Konata Mumpfield, Xavier Smith, CJ Daniels

This one is pretty cut-and-dried. Xavier Smith, who is also the primary punt returner, deserves mention for securing his spot with a strong Game 1 performance.

The wild card is whether Nacua ends up suspended in Week 1, as Adam Schefter suggested, or if he is sidelined by lingering injury issues that have held him out of practice since he first hurt himself in an August 11 joint practice with the Dallas Cowboys. The Rams won't carry another receiver if Nacua is suspended, but it will be interesting to see who steps up.

Tight end (5)

Colby Parkinson, Terrance Ferguson, Tyler Higbee, Davis Allen, Max Klare

Another tough nut to crack. Do the Rams really want to carry five, yes, five tight ends? Allen has been nursing a quad injury for some time, but McVay said last week that he is near a return.

Allen would seem to be the odd man out given his lack of upside compared to the others; no, the Rams won't stash Klare on the practice squad; he'd never clear waivers in the first place. Yet during Allen's injury absence, McVay has reiterated how important he is to the offense. It sure feels like five is the number.

Offensive line (10, but 9 in a perfect world)

Left tackle - Alaric Jackson, David Quessenberry

Left guard - Steve Avila, Justin Dedich

Center - Coleman Shelton, Dylan McMahon

Right guard - Kevin Dotson, Beaux Limmer

Right tackle - Warren McClendon, Keagen Trost

In a perfect world the Rams carry nine offensive linemen. In reality, this is easily the most vulnerable part of the roster due to availability and depth concerns. Opting for quantity over quality in the absence of starters or key reserves could make sense. That would likely mean additional practice-squad candidate promotions in addition to McMahon to maintain a total of 10 linemen on the active roster.

As for the uncertainty: first and foremost is Jackson's potential suspension, which could still happen. On top of that, both Dedich and Trost suffered injuries. The Rams hope Trost will be back by Week 1 after straining his hamstring in the preseason opener. Dedich is working his way back from a nonfootball hand injury and is nearing a return.

Whether or not Trost is ready for Week 1, the Rams would likely have to start Quessenberry if Jackson is suspended. Yikes. Nothing against him, but the guy played 18 snaps last season.

If one of Trost/Dedich is also unavailable, LA could promote veteran Blake Hance.

Defensive line (6)

Kobie Turner, Poona Ford, Braden Fiske, Tyler Davis, Ty Hamilton, Tim Keenan III

Ah, yes. The most intriguing name here is the one that isn't listed. Of course. Aaron Donald.

It certainly seems like he will indeed return at some point. An announcement could be coming in the days following the preseason finale. If Donald does come back and the Rams carry six defensive linemen, seventh-round rookie Keenan feels like the odd man out here.

Alternatively, LA could trim someone (McMahon) from the offensive line, granted health and availability. On the defensive line, the fact that Hamilton did not play in the last game suggests he may have secured a spot alongside Davis.

Edge rusher (4)

Myles Garrett, Byron Young, Josaiah Stewart, Desjuan Johnson

I wanted to include Wesley Bailey. I really did. I just couldn't quite get there.

The Rams have a disciplined front office; general manager Les Snead loves his undrafted rookies, but he won't be reactionary. So while Bailey starred against the Saints, he's a UDFA at a position where the Rams don't need another body.

That said, his case continues to gain steam following a productive camp. He'll have one more chance to change the team's mind in the preseason. The final roster decision could well come down to Bailey, or someone in similar shoes, and Hunter, Lampkin, or an extra offensive lineman.

Linebacker (4)

Nate Landman, Omar Speights, Shaun Dolac, Grant Stuard

Undrafted rookie Nikhai Hill-Green was a candidate to crack the roster, but with the Rams' de-emphasis on linebacker and two serviceable backups in Dolac and Stuard, he ends up as one of an unfortunate 'just-missed' casualty. He hasn't made much noise this summer despite drawing considerable intrigue from fans, including this one, ahead of camp.

Safety (4)

Kam Curl, Kamren Kinchens, Quentin Lake, Jaylen McCollough

This is a top-tier group. McCollough hasn't stepped onto the field in the preseason. Coming from the Rams, that's a telltale sign that he has made the squad. Lake is perhaps better classified generically as a defensive back, given his ability to move all over the field. He feels at home in the slot.

Cornerback (5)

Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson, Emmanuel Forbes, Joshua Wallace, Cam Lampkin

One of the so-called surprise inclusions, along with Bailey, is Lampkin. Like Bailey, he has impressed in camp and preseason. His third-down pass break-up on Saturday against the Saints was one of the defensive highlights on a day full of them.

Including Lampkin on the roster is really about depth, in addition to his own strong showing. The Rams have a great safety room, but their corner rotation is a bit suspect with Wallace being more of a slot backup to Lake than a boundary defender.

Yes, McDuffie and Watson are in town and Forbes should be more effective in his reserve role, but after the Rams lost considerable depth in free agency, restocking the back end of the rotation makes sense. Plus, Lampkin is a good candidate to get scooped up on waivers if the Rams try to waive-and-practice-squad him.

Special teams (3)

Kicker - Harrison Mevis

Has the Thiccer Kicker already earned another nickname? How about Ol' Reliable after joining the club last November to convert 18 of 19 field goals and all his extra points, including the playoffs.

Punter - Ethan Evans

Evans could use a bounceback season after some consistency last year. He's done good work in the preseason, especially in the opener against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Long snapper - Joe Cardona

A longtime New England Patriot, Cardona has spent 11 years in the league doing one thing: snapping the ball to the holder to set up a lights-out field-goal operation. Arriving from Miami via free agency, he could end up being one of the Rams' most underrated additions given their struggles on special teams last season, which included a number of blocked kicks.

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