Rams fans won’t get to watch their team in the Super Bowl this year like they did a season ago, but there are still plenty of reasons to tune into the big game. When it comes to the Chiefs, there are a handful of pending free agents who could interest the Rams next month.
Jerick McKinnon would be a nice addition at running back, while Juan Thornhill could replace Taylor Rapp or Nick Scott if they leave in free agency. Two other defenders would also help shore up the pass rush and run defense.
Here are four Chiefs players Rams fans should watch with an eye toward free agency.
1
RB Jerick McKinnon
The Rams could use a true receiving back on offense. Cam Akers can catch passes but he’s not the receiving threat that McKinnon is. With Mike LaFleur coming aboard, too, there’s likely to be an added emphasis on getting the backs involved in the passing game. McKinnon would be a perfect addition if the Chiefs let him get away.
He caught a career-high 56 passes for 512 yards and nine touchdowns this season, which are all more than the Rams’ entire backfield had combined in 2022.
2
S Juan Thornhill
Thornhill is better in coverage than either of the Rams’ two free-agent safeties, Nick Scott and Taylor Rapp. Thornhill might also be a little bit more expensive than those two, but he’ll be worth the price if the Rams let their two safeties walk.
This season, Thornhill picked off three passes and had 71 tackles with one sack. His coverage grade was 74.7, according to Pro Football Focus, which would’ve led all Rams safeties. Rapp surprisingly had a 72.9 coverage grade.
3
OLB Carlos Dunlap
Finding pass-rush help will be a priority for Los Angeles this offseason and Dunlap could be a low-cost option. He wasn’t the most effective edge rusher in 2022, recording just 39 pressures on 425 pass-rush snaps, but that still would’ve been 15 more pressures than any Rams edge rusher not named Leonard Floyd.
He’d bring stability to the outside linebacker spot and also be an upgrade to the run defense, too. Dunlap fits the mold of a big edge rusher, which the Rams often seek at that position.
4
DL Khalen Saunders
Saunders had his best season as a pass rusher in 2022, recording 17 total pressures – seven more than he had in his three years combined prior to this season. It still wasn’t a standout year for the fourth-year defensive tackle, but that could work in the Rams’ favor. It’ll likely keep him in their price range as they search for defensive line depth with Greg Gaines and A’Shawn Robinson becoming free agents.
