When the Los Angeles Rams take the field on defense in Week 1, they’ll likely have four or five new starters in the secondary. Jalen Ramsey, Taylor Rapp, Troy Hill and Nick Scott are all gone, as is Nick Scott. The Rams traded Ramsey and didn’t re-sign any of the other four starting DBs from last year, leaving some gaping holes in the secondary.
Those positions have been filled internally as of now, with Cobie Durant, Derion Kendrick, Jordan Fuller and Russ Yeast all competing to be the starters at corner and safety. Robert Rochell, Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, Quentin Lake and Jason Taylor II will also be in the mix during training camp and the preseason, too.
It’s a completely remodeled secondary, one that isn’t necessarily better than last year’s unit. In fact, Pro Football Focus thinks it’s considerably worse. PFF released its secondary rankings for the upcoming season and the Rams were lower than any other team: 32nd in the NFL. They were ninth in PFF’s rankings last year, for comparison.
When a team sells out to win the Super Bowl like the Rams did, roster overhaul will inevitably happen. And that is what we’re seeing in this secondary right now.
Kendrick graded as the second-worst cornerback in the league last year at 43.7 and returns to the Rams as their most experienced starter, as he played 483 snaps in 2022. L.A. spent two Day 3 picks on the secondary this year, but 2023 will be tough to watch from a once formidable unit.
This is the second time PFF has ranked a Rams position group as the worst in the league, also putting their linebackers 32nd. The defense as a whole isn’t overly impressive on paper, given the changes the team made this offseason, but wins aren’t decided by depth charts.
There’s a lot of potential in this secondary, particularly with Durant. He picked off three passes and led the NFL in interception return yards as a rookie last season, and that was despite only being a part-time player.
This secondary could surprise some people if the young players step up the way the Rams expect them to.
