The Los Angeles Rams are coming off of a down season in which they went 5-12. The main reason for the decline is that the Rams had key players fall victim to the injury bug during the season. These players who missed 4+ games included Matt Stafford, Cooper Kupp, Van Jefferson, Joe Noteboom, David Edwards, and Troy Hill; the list goes on and on.
Sean Mcvey and company needed the backups to step up when their number was called. Unfortunately, the majority of players who needed to do this did not answer the call. This season will be different, though, as the players who were thrust into the starting lineup last season have a full offseason to practice as the starter.
1. Jordan Fuller – Safety
Rams S Jordan Fuller (4) – Cameron DaSilva/Rams wire
Jordan Fuller has started 28 games in his first two seasons in the NFL and was set for a break out season last year; however, he only played in four games in the 2022 NFL season due to a hamstring injury. Jordan has made a full recovery, and he said in training camp, “I’m good, I’m good.” “It feels really good to get it behind me…”. He is the leader of the Ram’s young secondary this upcoming season and might even be expected to retake duties as the signal caller of the defense.
2. Van Jefferson – Wide Receiver
Rams WR Van Jefferson (12) – Jeremy Klump/Hail Florida Hail
With the departure of Odell Beckham, the clear #2 receiver role is open for grabs. Van Jefferson is clearly the second-best receiver on the roster. Van needs to take this opportunity and run with it, though, because it certainly will not be handed to him. Jefferson was drafted with the 57th overall pick in 2020. This is an extremely high pick for a Rams team who seldom has a 1st round selection. Jefferson, in the same scenario as the first entry Jordan Fuller, showed a lot of promise in year two.
Van racked up over 800 receiving yards and six receiving touchdowns. 2022 appeared to be his breakout season, but it was hampered by both injuries to himself and to starting quarterback Matthew Stafford. With the offense healthy again, expect Van to go over 1,000 receiving yards this season as he draws plenty of single coverage adjacent to Cooper Kupp.
3. Zach Evans – Running back
Former Ole Miss RB Zach Evans (6) – Evelyn Van Pelt/The Rebel Walk
This one may come as a bit of a surprise to include a rookie considering rookies don’t typically “break out,” but Zach Evans may be an exception. Zach has the potential to break out based on most preseason projections for him. He is currently buried on the depth chart behind a lot of familiar faces in LA, like Cam Akers, Sony Michel, and Kyren Williams.
This is nothing new for Zach, though. Just last season at Ole Miss, he battled the highly touted freshman running back Quinshon Judkins for a time in the backfield. While Zach didn’t get as many touches, he made the most of his touches by rushing for almost a full yard per carry, more than Judkins. Expect Zach to claw tooth and nail every down he gets to play. With his grit and determination, plus his capability of being an every-down back, I can see a future where Evans owns about 50% of the backfield by the end of the season.
There are so many young players on this Rams roster that can have a break out-type season that there may very well be more than 3. So many position battles are still up for grabs and uncertain. I think that the preseason will be a big indicator as to who may climb the depth chart and set themselves up for a big season. This roster is in need of leadership and players that are willing to step up during crunch time. I think this season, more so than the last several, will set the direction of the Rams’ future for years to come.
