The Los Angeles Rams are going to give their rookies an excellent chance to contribute right away this season after tearing down their roster and infusing an abundance of young talent through the draft. Their 14 draft picks all have a good shot to make the team, but some will make an impact earlier than others.
Looking at the state of the Rams’ roster, as well as each rookie’s talent level, we highlighted seven first-year players who will have the best chance to contribute early on. That doesn’t mean they’ll be Day 1 starters, but they will have an opportunity to help the Rams rather quickly.
1
OL Steve Avila
Avila won’t be guaranteed a starting job but considering the revolving door the Rams had along the offensive line in 2022, he’ll have a great chance to play at either guard or center. Right away, he’ll compete for a starting job at either right guard or left guard. There will be a lot of players vying for that spot, including Logan Bruss, Coleman Shelton and Tremayne Anchrum Jr., but Avila has a higher ceiling than all three.
It would be a major surprise if Avila rode the bench his entire rookie season. He should be on the field early, potentially as a starting guard or center in Week 1.
2
OLB Byron Young
No position has less depth and proven talent than outside linebacker. Before the draft, the Rams had Michael Hoecht, Daniel Hardy and Keir Thomas as their top three edge rushers. That alone gives Young a great chance to start right away for Los Angeles, even if he’s not a true three-down player like Leonard Floyd was.
He needs work as a run defender but as a pass rusher, he might already be the Rams’ best at outside linebacker. That will get him on the field on third down and in obvious passing situations, letting him do what he does best: rush the quarterback.
3
CB Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson
A lot still has to be sorted out at cornerback, but right now, Cobie Durant seems like the only one whose name is penciled in as a starter. Derion Kendrick and Robert Rochell will also be in the running for starting spots, but Hodges-Tomlinson could beat both of them out. And considering the Rams deploy a ton of nickel and dime packages with five and six DBs on the field, Hodges-Tomlinson should get plenty of opportunities to play.
He’s undersized, but Hodges-Tomlinson is fast, aggressive and sticky in coverage, allowing completions on only 34.6% of his 81 targets last season. He’s a sixth-round pick but he has a ton of talent for a player his size.
4
OLB Nick Hampton
Hampton is in a similar spot as Young, playing a position that will essentially be an open competition. Hampton doesn’t have the draft pedigree that Young, a third-round pick, does. However, he’s another guy who could contribute early as a situational pass rusher on third down by subbing in for someone like Hoecht.
Hampton had 18 sacks in the last two seasons at Appalachian State, even leading the team in sacks, forced fumbles and tackles for a loss in 2022 despite missing three games with an injury. He could be an early contributor for the Rams as they try to revamp their pass rush.
5
P Ethan Evans
As the only punter on the roster, Evans has as good a chance as anyone to contribute right away. The Rams didn’t want to take a chance of losing Evans as an undrafted free agent, so they selected him in the seventh round and haven’t added another punter since. Evans was a Division II prospect so he still has a lot to prove, but it’s not as if he was a quarterback going up against lesser competition. If you can punt at the D-II level, you can punt anywhere.
6
S Jason Taylor II
Jordan Fuller will presumably be one starter at safety, but the other spot is still up for grabs. And with how often the Rams run three-safety packages, it’s possible there will be even more playing time to go around at this position. That bodes well for Taylor, who can cover the slot or play deep, specifically as a centerfield safety.
He’s a talented player who can get even better if he improves his tackling technique after finishing last season with a 14.7 missed tackle rate, per PFF. His coverage grade of 76.9 is what’s particularly exciting for the Rams because they could use some improved pass defense from their safeties.
7
WR Puka Nacua
The Rams have Cooper Kupp, Van Jefferson, Ben Skowronek and Tutu Atwell atop their receiver depth chart, but there’s plenty of room for Nacua to emerge as one of the three or four best wideouts on this team. He’s a do-it-all player who can make plays as a receiver, blocker and runner, similar to the way Robert Woods impacted the Rams for five years.
Nacua is elusive after the catch and can make defenders miss, which greatly helps the offense because it doesn’t require Matthew Stafford to pick up chunk plays consistently by making deep and intermediate throws. Nacua is an exciting rookie as a fifth-round pick with the potential to be the No. 3 receiver at some point if he can beat out Skowronek and Atwell.
