Rams fans will be floored by Les Snead's comparison for Trent McDuffie

The Los Angeles Rams fell short of a Super Bowl last season because of an easily exploited secondary. General manager Les Snead immediately set about fixing that flaw this offseason, pulling off a blockbuster for Trent McDuffie and signing his teammate, Jaylen Watson, in free agency. 

At the NFL's annual league meeting, head coach Sean McVay gave giddy Rams fans even more reason to be hyped. McDuffie, he said, reminds him of the legendary Jalen Ramsey, leader of LA's Super Bowl-sealing secondary in 2021. 

"You look at the four years of his body of work and the versatility, where he can do a lot of things that were similar to what made Jalen Ramsey such a special player for us when our defense was really operating at a high clip. He can play into the boundary, can play to the field, he can play in the slot, he can blitz." - McVay on McDuffie via Horns reporter Stu Jackson.

As if the fanbase wasn't amped already, that comparison should reassure Blue and Yellow faithful of a much-improved unit entering next season. 

McDuffie is Rams' first true CB1 since Ramsey left 

With how Ramsey has faded since leaving Los Angeles, it's easy to forget the degree of his dominance. An All-Pro First Teamer in each of his first two Rams seasons, he spearheaded the secondary as a force against both the run and the pass. In the Super Bowl against the Bengals, he helped keep top receivers Jamar Chase and Tee Higgins in check. 

McDuffie hasn't flashed the same playmaking ability thus far, recording three career interceptions to Ramsey's 10 as a Ram. Still, he is a similar dual threat. In 2025 for the Chiefs, McDuffie earned Pro Football Focus grades in the 85th percentile or better in both pass coverage and run defense. He made an All-Pro First Team of his own in 2023. 

Being able to control all levels of the field is what makes McDuffie comparable to Ramsey as an all-around secondary commander. Not only did he hold opposing receivers to the 10th-lowest average yards per catch (9.2), but he also recorded 20 stops (a PFF rank of 24 out of 114) while missing just four tackles (16th). 

Although it's not his top strength, McDuffie can also supplement the pass rush. In his All-Pro season, he blitzed 54 times according to Pro Football Reference, generating three sacks and 14 pressures. 

Like Ramsey, McDuffie has Super Bowl experience - two rings and three appearances, to be exact. In 2024, he led all postseason players with seven pass breakups per PFR. 

The Rams hope McDuffie's big-game experience leads to another trophy in Los Angeles. If he puts on his Jalen Ramsey cape, McVay should like his chances. Getting some help from the opposite side of the ball is a luxury he didn't have last season. All too often, the offense was forced to clean up a porous secondary's blunders. 

Make no mistake, Cobie Durant was a valuable starter and the team's best option last year, but asking him to play CB1 is probably a reach. In McDuffie, the Horns have a genuine leader in the cornerback room for the first time since Ramsey's departure.