Ty Hamilton survived Rams roster cuts due to one clear advantage

With Aaron Donald's return to the Los Angeles Rams seemingly inevitable, the question throughout the 2026 offseason was who would be bumped to make room for perennial All-Pro. Almost certainly, those roster cuts would come from the defensive line.

When push came to shove, the Rams settled on rookie nose tackle Tim Keenan III, the 232nd pick of the draft, and veteran Larrell Murchison. Both are back on the practice squad. Bill Norton is also back after spending last season in the same capacity.

The only defensive lineman who was on the bubble but reached the 53-man roster was second-year D Ty Hamilton, a 2025 fifth-rounder. Was that the right choice? Well, that's what we'll have to find out.

Ty Hamilton's versatility gives him an undeniable edge

Donald operates best when given leeway to pick his spots along the defensive front. So, to optimize his impact, his teammates must able to slide into multiple positions. Kobie Turner excels at that. In theory, Hamilton's versatility should give him an advantage as well.

Keenan will continue to hone his craft on the practice squad, but he is essentially a nose tackle. And while Murchison has been effective at times, his role is somewhat limited. Only Hamilton, at 6-foot-3 and 301 pounds, can line up over center, guard, tackle, or outside. That's what the Rams need for Donald to cause maximum disruption.

Hamilton did not get much work in his rookie season. He saw just 138 snaps, and recorded 11 tackles. But he is expecting to progress in Year 2. Although it may be difficult to earn playing time on such a stacked depth chart, the Ohio State product could see a larger role this year.

Even with six defensive linemen on the roster, expect a rapid rotation as defensive coordinator Chris Shula experiments with the right combination. The Rams will want to increase Donald's workload gradually to ensure he is available and rested for the playoffs.

Hamilton should be able to carry some of that burden. He did appear in all three playoff games last year and notched three tackles in a minor rotational role (38 snaps). Hamilton had a full year of experience under his belt to help focus his offseason training.

Now Rams fans will get see if all that hard work paid off. Insofar as it earned him a roster spot, it already has.

As always, thanks for reading.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow