Rams' best offseason add may not be the Chiefs CB everyone is thinking of

The Los Angeles Rams are Super Bowl contenders and have made sure they upgraded the roster to make a push for another Lombardi Trophy. Cornerback was a priority for this team, and they achieved their goal of improving in that area.

The biggest splash was the acquisition of Trent McDuffie from the Kansas City Chiefs, but according to ESPN's Bill Barnwell, that wasn't Los Angeles' best move of the offseason. He believes the Rams' signing of cornerback Jaylen Watson was the smartest decision.

"The Chiefs were perfectly comfortable with Watson covering the opposing team's top receiver at times in 2025. We saw big wideouts like A.J. Brown and Jaxon Smith-Njigba torment the Rams last season, and Watson's 6-foot-2 frame should help against those large targets in 2026," Barnwell wrote.

Barnwell also pointed out that Watson is making $34 million over the next two seasons while McDuffie inked a four-year, $124 million extension. So the combination of salary and Watson's ability to give Los Angeles something they didn't have in 2025 gives him the edge as Los Angeles' best move, according to Barnwell. And there's certainly a case to be made.

Jaylen Watson can make case for being Rams top offseason move

Jaylen Watson gives the Rams' cornerbacks room, something they didn't have before, and that's his size. Standing at 6-foot-2, he's their tallest cornerback and gives this defense someone who can match up with those big receivers that Barnwell pointed out.

In contrast, Emmanuel Forbes is just 6-foot-0, and is nearly 25 pounds lighter than Watson.

Before last season, Watson was a spot starter for Kansas City, but he took a jump in 2025. Across 15 starts last season, he tallied 64 total tackles, six pass deflections, two interceptions, and two sacks. In coverage, he allowed 35 receptions for 447 receiving yards but gave up zero touchdowns.

According to Pro Football Focus, Watson finished with a 74.1 overall grade (17th among 114 graded cornerbacks) and a 68.4 coverage grade (31st among 114 graded cornerbacks). He was able to stick his nose as a run defender too, logging an 83.5 run defense grade (6th among 114 graded cornerbacks). He also recorded a 1.5 percent missed tackle rate.

Coming over from Kansas City, Watson has played in high-pressure situations and knows what it takes to win. He earned the trust of the longtime NFL defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, which is telling of the kind of player he is.

With Watson in the fold at a reasonable cost, it makes the addition that much better. He will start at one of the boundary corner spots and be able to provide this defense something they were lacking. A lengthy corner who is coming off the best year of his career. He will come in and be a reason why the Rams' pass defense likely improves from their 20th overall ranking in 2025.

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