We’re almost a quarter of the way through the 2022 season already with the Rams playing four of their 17 games thus far. At 2-2, there’s plenty of room for improvement in Los Angeles, especially being the defending Super Bowl champs.
Unfortunately, there are weaknesses all over this roster right now, and that’s reflected in Pro Football Focus’ player grades through four weeks of the season.
Below are the best and worst performers on each side of the ball.
Top 5 offense
- WR Cooper Kupp: 89.7
- RT Rob Havenstein: 70.8
- OL Alaric Jackson: 66.5
- TE Tyler Higbee: 65.3
- QB Matthew Stafford: 64.9
There’s Kupp, and then there’s everybody else. He’s far and away the best player on offense this season, nearly 20 points better than the next-closest player. Havenstein and Jackson have been the best offensive lineman, but that’s not saying much given the way the rest of the linemen have played.
Top 5 defense
- DT Aaron Donald: 88.4
- LB Bobby Wagner: 86.7
- CB Jalen Ramsey: 83.5
- LB Ernest Jones: 71.6
- S Nick Scott: 69.9
The guys you’d expect to play well are mostly doing so. Donald, Wagner and Ramsey have led the way on defense, and there isn’t a massive drop-off from Ramsey to Jones and Scott. This is about as top-heavy as the defense has been in a few years.
Bottom 5 offense
- LG David Edwards: 57.9
- WR Allen Robinson: 56.6
- WR Ben Skowronek: 55.6
- RB Darrell Henderson Jr.: 55.5
- OL Coleman Shelton: 49.9
There are no surprises in this department. Edwards hasn’t played up to his usual expectations, nor has Robinson. Both have been disappointments through four weeks. Henderson and Skowronek could also stand to improve, and Shelton was a weak link up front before getting hurt.
Bottom 5 defense
- NT Greg Gaines: 57.3
- S Taylor Rapp: 56.6
- OLB Leonard Floyd: 56.3
- CB Derion Kendrick: 53.0
- OLB Justin Hollins: 50.6
The pass rush has really suffered from a lack of consistent play out of Floyd and Hollins. Gaines isn’t pressuring the quarterback much, either, though he’s a nose tackle and that’s not his primary job. Rapp has trouble in coverage and Kendrick is playing about how you’d expect a sixth-round rookie to.
Other notables
- LT Joe Noteboom: 63.8
- RB Cam Akers: 61.9
- OL Bobby Evans: 29.8
- OLB Terrell Lewis: 63.1
- DE A’Shawn Robinson: 60.1
Noteboom hasn’t been great, but he also hasn’t been the biggest issue – though he was a liability against Nick Bosa on Monday night. Evans isn’t starting-caliber, posting the worst grade on the team.
Lewis is having a decent year, while Akers surprisingly graded above 60 despite producing minimally.
