Marquise Copeland was re-signed by the Los Angeles Rams this offseason and he’s now in line to start along the defensive line. He needs to earn that spot first but given the Rams’ lack of depth up front, there’s a good chance he’ll be on the field next to Aaron Donald for the first snaps in Week 1.
Copeland has never been a full-time starter before but the Rams are putting their faith in the former undrafted free agent. While he may not be the run defender that A’Shawn Robinson is, Copeland has good upside and is just 26 years old.
Hopefully he can stay healthy all season because the Rams need playmakers up front.
2022 stats
- 31 tackles
- 2 tackles for a loss
- 1 sack
- 7 total pressures (PFF)
- 73.5 run defense grade
- 53.1 pass rush grade
Position group
The defensive line is going to look very different than last year’s group following the departures of Greg Gaines and A’Shawn Robinson in free agency. That leaves Aaron Donald as the only returning starter along the defensive line as the Rams undergo a youth movement.
Copeland did start nine games last season but he still played fewer snaps than Gaines and Robinson. Beyond the rookie newcomers, Kobie Turner and Desjuan Johnson, Copeland will also compete with Earnest Brown IV and Larrell Murchison, among others.
Right after Donald, Copeland has the most experience of anyone in the defensive line room. That gives him an edge in this competition and makes him a likely starter at defensive end.
2023 outlook
Had the Rams re-signed Robinson or drafted a defensive end early on, Copeland’s value and importance would be much lower than it is now. But because of the team’s lack of depth along the defensive line, as well as their overall lack of talent at that spot, he needs to step up in 2023.
At the very least, he can be a quality run defender for Los Angeles, which still carries a lot of value. Gaines, Robinson, Bobby Wagner and Leonard Floyd were the team’s top run defenders so they’ll need someone to rise to the occasion when teams do try to run on the Rams.
Los Angeles gave him a one-year deal this offseason with the hope that he’ll be a starter, and based on the roster outlook, he should be.
