We won’t see the Los Angeles Rams on the field again until training camp, which starts in late July. They wrapped up OTAs and minicamp this month, getting in a lot of good work before the pads come on and the competition really heats up.
The offense underwent fewer changes than the defense this offseason, which makes the starting lineup easier to project. However, even as clear as the picture is at some positions, there are plenty of other spots still up for grabs.
Here’s how we project the Rams’ starting offense to shake out this season.
Quarterback: Matthew Stafford
No debate here, of course. Stafford is going to be the starter from Week 1 to 18 as long as he’s healthy, which unfortunately wasn’t the case last season. After dealing with an elbow issue and back injury throughout last year, Stafford is fully healthy now and ready to roll for the start of the season. Stetson Bennett will most likely back him up as the No. 2 quarterback, with Brett Rypien also competing for that role.
Running back: Cam Akers
It’s possible Kyren Williams crushes it this offseason and carves out a bigger role for himself at running back, but it doesn’t seem likely that he’ll unseat Akers as the starter. Akers is having a strong offseason so far, according to his teammates and coaches, and he’ll hope to pick up right where he left off at the end of last season when he looked like one of the better backs in the league.
Wide receiver: Cooper Kupp
Never before has Kupp been so clearly the No. 1 receiver on offense. No Robert Woods, no Odell Beckham Jr., no Allen Robinson. That should lead to a ton of targets for the 2021 Offensive Player of the Year, potentially more than he saw in the last two seasons. Kupp should be in for a huge 2023 season once he’s fully healed from his ankle injury suffered in the second half of last year.
Wide receiver: Van Jefferson
The only way Jefferson isn’t the No. 2 receiver to start the year is if he’s A) traded or B) injured. Otherwise, he’s going to be the starter opposite Kupp. After an injury-plagued 2022 season, Jefferson is hoping to bounce back in a big way before becoming a free agent next offseason. Durability is the biggest question with Jefferson.
Wide receiver: Ben Skowronek
Here’s the first spot that has plenty to be sorted out. Skowronek is the safe choice to be the No. 3 receiver because of his blocking ability and familiarity with the offense, but the Rams have other wideouts competing for playing time, too. Tutu Atwell is entering Year 3 and could finally be poised for a meaningful role, while rookie Puka Nacua has received rave reviews thus far. They also signed Demarcus Robinson and Tyler Johnson, two veteran receivers with NFL experience. Skowronek has missed some time this offseason with an injury but I’ll still go with him as the WR3 in Week 1, though I expect the Rams to rotate a bunch between him, Atwell and Nacua.
Tight end: Tyler Higbee
Higbee isn’t going to be overtaken by Hunter Long, Brycen Hopkins or any of the Rams’ other tight ends as the starter. It also seems unlikely now that Los Angeles will cut Higbee to save money, especially after the team freed up $10.44 million simply by restructuring Kupp’s deal. He’ll be the starting tight end with Long, Hopkins and Davis Allen backing him up on the depth chart.
Left tackle: Joe Noteboom
The offensive line is where things get really interesting, beginning with left tackle. Noteboom will need to not only stay healthy this year, but he’ll have to hold off Alaric Jackson for the starting job, regardless of his larger salary. Sean McVay has said every spot on this team will be earned so Noteboom won’t be handed the starting spot just because he has a sizable contract. Still, I think he’ll win the battle in camp.
Left guard: Steve Avila
Avila has already been working with the first-team offense so the Rams are trying to get him integrated rather quickly. He has the ability to play any of the three interior positions, which gives him a good chance to start somewhere in the middle. If Avila plays well enough in training camp and the preseason, he should be able to hold off either Noteboom or Jackson, as well as Coleman Shelton, Tremayne Anchrum Jr. and the other guards competing for playing time.
Center: Coleman Shelton
The Rams are by no means committed to Brian Allen as their starting center. In fact, they might be leaning more toward Shelton at this point. They’ve rotated their centers throughout the offseason, giving Shelton first-team reps in place of Allen. Shelton is a bigger blocker, which helps in the run game, and that has been evidenced when he’s filled in for Allen in the past. This is one of the most intriguing position battles of the year for L.A.
Right guard: Logan Bruss
Bruss missed his entire rookie year and the Rams are probably itching to get a look at their top pick from the 2022 draft. He’ll have to earn his starting spot, beating out the likes of Anchrum, Jackson and others, but I think he’ll get the job done and show the Rams what they liked so much about him in the draft last year.
Right tackle: Rob Havenstein
The only position on the offensive line that’s not up for grabs is right tackle. Havenstein is going to be the starter there, as he has been for years, and there’s absolutely no reason to think any of the Rams’ other linemen will beat him out or even get a chance to compete for his job.
