Rams dodged devastating blow by steering clear of this promising prospect

The Los Angeles Rams often use the NFL draft to tackle perceived roster needs in unexpected or under-the-radar fashion. Nose tackle was one position they addressed that way in 2026, selecting a young understudy for Poona Ford by the name of Tim Keenan III. As ideally suited for the role as Keenan is, the Alabama seventh-rounder hardly jumped off the draft board. Most seventh-rounders don't.

Those honors belonged instead to Southeastern Louisiana DT Kaleb Proctor, at one point an intriguing Day 3 prospect in Rams mock draft discussions.

Who gets hurt and who doesn't frequently seems like nothing more than luck. Nonetheless, it appears the Rams chose wisely by steering clear of Proctor, who suffered a meniscus injury in OTAs that could end his rookie season before it ever starts:

With just a five-rookie draft, Los Angeles can ill afford to have anyone fall to injury. The team has already seen two undrafted signings lost for the season. Losing Proctor would have been no less devastating for the Rams than it is for the Cardinals.

The Horns were happy to snag Keenan in Round 7. Some draft boards even project him as an equal or slightly superior prospect to Proctor. But alongside his athletic talent, the latter's passion and unintimidated attitude impressed the Cardinals enough to call his name at the early juncture of No. 104 overall.

Proctor's injury sets back Cardinals' newly formed defense

New Arizona head coach Mike LaFleur, the former Rams OC, opted to retain Arizona defensive coordinator Nick Rallis, who has held the position since 2023 and now assumes a larger play-calling role with Jonathan Gannon, Arizona's defensive-minded ex-coach, out the door.

Gannon's unit was not particularly effective in 2025. Arizona finished 29th in scoring defense and 27th in yards allowed. The run defense ranked 25th in the league. Even as a rookie, Proctor was part of the plan to improve the Cardinals' group in that area, while also boosting the pass rush.

Curiously, the Cardinals were not particularly aggressive in free agency this offseason, which makes Proctor's injury all the harder to sustain. On top of that, he was the only defensive player in their first five draft selections, and only Arizona's second in the entire draft.

Done for the season or not, Proctor must now start the hard climb back to health, a journey that will certainly test his resolve. Division rivalries only extend so far. Even as Rams fans, let's hope he makes a full recovery.

As always, thanks for reading.

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