The Los Angeles Rams’ secondary is going to look a lot different in 2023 after the offseason they’ve had thus far. Besides having Troy Hill and David Long Jr. hitting free agency, the Rams traded All-Pro Jalen Ramsey to the Miami Dolphins, leaving them thin at the cornerback spot.
Even though many were expecting the Rams to take a cornerback earlier in the 2023 NFL draft, they waited until the sixth round to take Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson out of TCU. What should fans expect from the incoming first-year cornerback?
Before we dive deeper into Hodges-Tomlinson, it should be noted (yet again) that he’s the nephew of Hall of Fame running back LaDainian Tomlinson. the Rams love players with family connections to football and they knew they couldn’t pass up the opportunity of taking Hodges-Tomlinson in the sixth round.
Entering the NFL, Hodges-Tomlinson is certainly an undersized cornerback at under 5-foot-8, but he still brings a handful of positive skills to the table. Hodges-Tomlinson’s agility and ability to flip his hips stand out immediately when watching him play.
Throughout his time at TCU, Hodges-Tomlinson totaled 41 pass breakups and he had five interceptions in his final two seasons. The former Horned Frog is a savvy player that has a vast knowledge of what other teams are trying to do, though, he can sometimes get too hands-on in coverage, which often led to penalties.
My guy Tre'Vius Hodges-Tomlinson again. In man coverage. He knew which route was coming, you can see him start to break inside before the receiver starts his break. Is able to undercut the route and come up with an INT. pic.twitter.com/YloALxfVvd
— Tyler Browning (@DiabeticTyler) November 18, 2022
Despite his size, Hodges-Tomlinson isn’t afraid to get involved in the run game and he improved his tackling numbers each year at TCU. With his mixture of instincts and size, Hodges-Tomlinson will likely spend most of his career playing in the slot.
The Rams have had smaller cornerbacks have success under Sean McVay, and we know the offensive-minded coach loves having playmakers on the defensive side of the ball. Considering that the Rams lack depth at the cornerback position right now, Hodges-Tomlinson could immediately be an impact starter in 2023 out of the slot, allowing him to make game-changing plays as he did in college.
