The Los Angeles Rams have begun their prep for Week 1 against the Buffalo Bills, looking ahead to that season-opening matchup after setting their initial 53-man roster this week. There were a few surprises when the roster first came out, but not a ton of them.
There are also some differences between this year’s team and last year’s initial 53-man roster. Going position by position, here’s a look at how each group differs from 2021 to this season.
Note: These are the initial rosters set after final roster cuts. Newcomers are noted in italics.
Quarterback
| 2021 | 2022 |
| Matthew Stafford | Matthew Stafford |
| John Wolford | John Wolford |
| Bryce Perkins | Bryce Perkins |
There are no changes at quarterback from last year. The same three players made the 53-man roster, and it’s likely to remain that way throughout the season.
Running back
| 2021 | 2022 |
| Darrell Henderson Jr. | Cam Akers |
| Sony Michel | Darrell Henderson Jr. |
| Jake Funk | Kyren Williams |
| Jake Funk |
There are a few differences at running back. Akers is back from injury, bumping Henderson down the depth chart one spot. Michel is now gone, and Williams is in as the third (or fourth) running back alongside Funk.
Wide receiver
| 2021 | 2022 |
| Cooper Kupp | Cooper Kupp |
| Robert Woods | Allen Robinson |
| Van Jefferson | Van Jefferson |
| DeSean Jackson | Ben Skowronek |
| Tutu Atwell | Tutu Atwell |
| Ben Skowronek | Brandon Powell |
| Lance McCutcheon |
The wide receiver group looks pretty different compared to last year. Robinson, Powell and McCutcheon are all newcomers, while Woods and Jackson are both now gone.
Robinson is essentially Woods’ replacement, and while Skowronek was viewed as the No. 6 receiver last year, he’ll likely be the fourth option this season.
Tight end
| 2021 | 2022 |
| Tyler Higbee | Tyler Higbee |
| Johnny Mundt | Brycen Hopkins |
| Jacob Harris | |
| Brycen Hopkins |
The Rams are much lighter at tight end this year. Harris is on the practice squad, but he’s a wide receiver now. Higbee and Hopkins are the only tight ends who remain from last year’s team, a pretty significant surprise.
Offensive line
| 2021 | 2022 |
| Andrew Whitworth | Joe Noteboom |
| David Edwards | David Edwards |
| Brian Allen | Brian Allen |
| Austin Corbett | Coleman Shelton |
| Rob Havenstein | Rob Havenstein |
| Joe Noteboom | Tremayne Anchrum Jr. |
| A.J. Jackson | A.J. Jackson |
| Bobby Evans | Bobby Evans |
| Tremayne Anchrum Jr. | |
| Coleman Shelton |
The Rams kept two fewer offensive linemen this season, though the only differences between last year and 2022 are Whitworth and Corbett. Otherwise, all eight of the other players are the same – though Noteboom and Shelton are both starters now.
Defensive line
| 2021 | 2022 |
| Aaron Donald | Aaron Donald |
| Sebastian Joseph-Day | Greg Gaines |
| A’Shawn Robinson | A’Shawn Robinson |
| Greg Gaines | Marquise Copeland |
| Bobby Brown III | Michael Hoecht |
| Michael Hoecht | Jonah Williams |
| Jonah Williams |
No major changes with this group. Gaines moves up from being a backup at the start of last year to being a full-time starter in Week 1, with Copeland, Hoecht and Williams backing up the first unit. Copeland is the only newcomer to this group.
Brown will likely be on the 53-man roster once he returns from suspension.
Inside linebacker
| 2021 | 2022 |
| Kenny Young | Bobby Wagner |
| Troy Reeder | Ernest Jones |
| Ernest Jones | Christian Rozeboom |
| Travin Howard | Jake Hummel |
No position group looks more different than the inside linebackers. Only Jones remains from last year’s unit, and now he’s a starter alongside former All-Pro Bobby Wagner. Rozeboom and Hummel are the backups, as well, which are roles Jones and Howard held last season.
Outside linebacker
| 2021 | 2022 |
| Leonard Floyd | Leonard Floyd |
| Justin Hollins | Justin Hollins |
| Terrell Lewis | Terrell Lewis |
| Ogbonnia Okoronkwo | Keir Thomas |
| Chris Garrett | Daniel Hardy |
The top three remain unchanged, but the backups are both different. Thomas made the team as an undrafted rookie, and while Hardy also cracked the 53-man roster, he’s since been placed on IR. Garrett was cut by the Rams this year and did not return to the practice squad, while Okoronkwo signed with the Texans as a free agent.
Cornerback
| 2021 | 2022 |
| Jalen Ramsey | Jalen Ramsey |
| Darious Williams | Troy Hill |
| David Long Jr. | David Long Jr. |
| Robert Rochell | Robert Rochell |
| Decobie Durant | |
| Derion Kendrick |
As you can see, the Rams were not very deep at cornerback last year – at least not initially. They only had four corners on the roster, whereas this year they have six. Hill, Durant and Kendrick are (somewhat) new faces, with Hill returning after a year in Cleveland.
Williams left to join the Jaguars in free agency.
Safety
| 2021 | 2022 |
| Jordan Fuller | Jordan Fuller |
| Terrell Burgess | Nick Scott |
| Taylor Rapp | Taylor Rapp |
| Nick Scott | Terrell Burgess |
| J.R. Reed | Russ Yeast |
| JuJu Hughes |
The top four safeties all return from last year, albeit in different situations. Burgess was believed to have a bigger role last year than he actually wound up having, so he’ll be a backup this year. Reed and Hughes are both gone, and Yeast steps in as a depth piece; he was a seventh-round pick this year.
Specialists
| 2021 | 2022 |
| Matt Gay | Matt Gay |
| Johnny Hekker | Riley Dixon |
| Matthew Orzech | Matthew Orzech |
The Rams swapped Hekker out for Dixon, going from one veteran punter to another. Gay and Orzech remain in their usual roles from last year.
Summary
In total, there are 16 players who made the Rams’ initial 53-man roster this year who were not on the initial roster last year. That’s actually not a huge number considering how many losses the Rams suffered during the offseason.
And that includes players such as Copeland, Rozeboom, Powell and Akers, who eventually made it on the 53-man roster at some point last season.
