In addition to drafting 14 rookies, the Los Angeles Rams also added a bunch of undrafted free agents after the seventh round concluded – 26, to be exact. They now have 84 players on the 90-man roster, so not all of their rookies will make the 53-man squad when it’s set in September.
The 14 players drafted have a better chance to make the team than those who went undrafted, but there’s a good shot at least one of the rookie free agents will make the final roster.
In no particular order, these seven undrafted free agents have the best chance to make the Rams’ roster this season.
1
S Rashad Torrence II, Florida
He lacks top-end speed, running a 4.72 in the 40-yard dash, but he has good play recognition and his versatility allows him to line up at multiple positions. The Rams didn’t aggressively pursue safeties in free agency or the draft, so Torrence could make a name for himself.
2
RB Tiyon Evans, Louisville
Evans’ college production was very limited, playing just two seasons at the FBS level: one with Tennessee and one with Louisville. He carried it just 164 times and caught 10 passes, so he didn’t have the ball in his hands very often. But at 5-foot-9 with good elusiveness, he has a different skill set than the ones Cam Akers and Kyren Williams bring.
Though those two are roster locks, there isn’t a clear-cut favorite for the No. 3 spot behind them. Evans might only need to beat out Ronnie Rivers in order to make the team.
3
LB/S Jaiden Woodbey, Boston College
Woodbey is a linebacker-safety hybrid who primarily plays in the box, similar to the way Mark Barron did toward the end of his career with the Rams. Los Angeles is no stranger to safety-LB tweeners, also taking a shot on Travin Howard, so Woodbey could be next in line to follow that path.
He has the ability to shed blockers and make plays around the line of scrimmage, which gives him a chance to make this team at a position that’s pretty thin right now: linebacker.
4
LS Alex Ward, UCF
Ward is the only long snapper on the team and while there’s a chance the Rams will add another one at some point this offseason, he’s clearly the favorite to win the job in 2023. He was a finalist for the Patrick Mannelly Award, which is given to the best long snapper in the country, in each of the last two seasons, so he obviously performed well in college.
5
S Quindell Johnson, Memphis
While some undrafted rookies got signing bonuses in the range of $5,000 to $9,000, Johnson got much more from the Rams. They gave him a bonus of $30,000 to sign with them, showing how interested they were in adding the safety after the draft. He’s another versatile safety who split time in the slot and as the deep defender, also lining up in the box about 22% of the time, according to PFF.
He forced six incompletions last season, which was tied for 43rd among all qualified safeties, but he’s even better against the run; he finished with an 89.4 run defense grade. He does need to clean up his tackling after missing 18 attempts last season.
the view from the other side – Quindell Johnson's spectacular one handed interception in the Navy end zone snuffing out any momentum they had built up in the 2nd quarter (Navy radio) pic.twitter.com/nIezhk9qgs
— Jeb Hill (@memphistigerjeb) September 12, 2022
6
K Christopher Dunn, NC State
The kicker competition could come down to Dunn and Tanner Brown, the other player the Rams signed at that position after the draft. But I think Dunn has a better chance because of his accuracy, despite Brown also making 22 of 23 field goal attempts last season.
Dunn was voted college football’s best kicker last season by winning the Lou Groza Award, and while he doesn’t have the strongest leg, he’s deadly accurate; he made 200 of his 200 PAT attempts in college.
7
WR Xavier Smith, Florida A&M
Smith is a smaller receiver at 5-foot-9, but he has blazing speed – something only Tutu Atwell really brings to the Rams’ wide receiver group. He ran a sub-4.4 at his pro day and his speed is evident when watching him play. He’s comfortable making catches down the field and also taking handoffs on jet sweeps, averaging 5.1 yards per carry last season on such plays.
Another important aspect of his game is his return ability, returning 20 kickoffs for 398 yards in college, as well as 14 punts for 78 yards. That gives him a better chance to make the team if he can become the Rams’ primary return specialist.
