As is tradition in the first week of the preseason, the Los Angeles Rams released their initial – and unofficial – depth chart of 2023. It projects who will be starters and who will be the primary backups, giving fans an early look at the roster before the first preseason game.
While it’s unofficial, we can still take away some important info from the Rams’ depth chart – like how they view their offensive and defensive lines, as well as the pecking order at wide receiver.
Here are eight key takeaways from the depth chart, which can be found here.
1
Three rookie starters
The Rams have 36 rookies on their roster right now but not all of them will make the team come September. At the moment, only three of them are projected to be starters: Steve Avila at left guard, Byron Young at outside linebacker and Kobie Turner is a co-starter at nose tackle.
Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, Puka Nacua, Stetson Bennett and Mike McAllister are all listed with the second-team, so they have a path to playing time at some point – maybe with the exception of McAllister, who has to make the team first.
2
Tutu Atwell’s stock is on the rise
Atwell has had a great offseason thus far and it’s reflected on the depth chart. He’s listed as the No. 3 receiver behind Cooper Kupp and Van Jefferson, ahead of Ben Skowronek, Demarcus Robinson and Puka Nacua. That’s a positive sign for his development as he becomes a more well-rounded receiver capable of contributing in multiple ways beyond just being a deep threat.
He still has to keep performing in order to secure that starting role in Week 1, but the early signs are encouraging for the third-year receiver.
3
Stetson Bennett still has some work to do
Bennett hasn’t yet locked down the backup quarterback job. He’s listed with the second-team offense with Brett Rypien, so the Rams are considering both players as their QB2. The preseason will be the most telling period when it comes to separating Bennett and Rypien as both should get plenty of playing time this summer.
This isn’t a bad sign for Bennett because he’s performed well this offseason and made a lot of plays in practice, but rather an indication that Rypien is impressing his coaches, too.
4
No clarity at left tackle or center yet
At left tackle, the Rams listed Joe Noteboom “or” Alaric Jackson. They did the same with Brian Allen and Coleman Shelton at center, not declaring which one is projected to start at the moment.
Considering Sean McVay said at least some starters will play in the preseason, we can expect to see all four linemen in the upcoming three games as the Rams try to sort out these two critical positions. There will be a ripple effect from these decisions, too; Shelton, Noteboom and Jackson could all compete at guard if they aren’t starters at center or left tackle.
5
Rams view Kobie Turner as a nose tackle
It’s surprising to see Turner’s name listed as a co-starter with Bobby Brown III at nose tackle, not because he isn’t a talented player, but because Turner doesn’t exactly have the size of a typical nose tackle. He’s 6-foot-2 and 288 pounds, almost 40 pounds lighter than the 324-pound Brown.
Aaron Donald has been impressed with Turner thus far so the Rams are probably just trying to get him on the field, but plugging him in at nose tackle on first and second down may not work out well against the run.
6
Russ Yeast has the edge over Quentin Lake
Everyone expects John Johnson to start next to Jordan Fuller this season but for the time being, it’s Yeast’s name listed as the starter, ahead of both Lake and Johnson. That could change by the time Week 1 rolls around, knowing Johnson will need some time to get up to speed on defense after missing the entire offseason program.
Both Yeast and Lake played well in camp so it would’ve been understandable for the Rams to list them as co-starters, but it appears Yeast has a slight edge right now.
7
Rams want the ball in Puka Nacua’s hands
Nacua is a backup receiver on the depth chart but he’s gotten opportunities to catch passes with the starters and also handle jet sweeps, too. And based on the looks of it, he’ll be their punt returner initially, too.
That’s a sign that the coaching staff is confident in the rookie receiver and wants to get the ball in his hands when possible. He never returned punts in college so this will be a new role for him if he holds onto it.
8
Ahkello Witherspoon has been a significant addition
Witherspoon wasted no time making an impact on defense after being signed in June. He’s already risen to the top of the depth chart as a starting cornerback alongside Cobie Durant and Derion Kendrick, which is great to see.
He consistently made plays in camp and should carry that over into the preseason and eventually the regular season. He could prove to be a key signing for the Rams this year, given their lack of experience at corner.
