There’s a good chance the Rams will have the youngest roster in the NFL this season after adding 40 rookies during and after the draft. Obviously, not all of them will make the final 53-man roster, but with a large group of first- and second-year players, the Rams will rely heavily on their younger pros.
Specifically when looking at second-year players, there are a handful of them who could make significant improvements and become integral parts of the offense and defense. We’ve highlighted six of them here, led by arguably the most important second-year pro of them all: Cobie Durant.
The Rams need these six players to step up in 2023.
1
CB Cobie Durant
Durant might be the most important second-year player on the roster. Actually, I’ll say it. he is. After a good rookie season that was hindered by injury, Durant is a near-lock to start at cornerback for the Rams. In fact, Los Angeles needs him to start this season because the depth chart is lacking proven talent at that position.
Durant can play the slot or line up outside, but if the Rams hope to get rookie Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson on the field early, Durant may have to play outside in order to open up the slot for Hodges-Tomlinson. He’s a ball hawk who should only get better with a year of NFL experience under his belt now, too.
2
G Logan Bruss
Had Bruss not gotten hurt before the season began, he absolutely would’ve been a starting guard at some point last year. The Rams needed every offensive lineman they had, and it’s unfortunate Bruss didn’t get a chance to play at all as a rookie. This year, he’ll once again face competition from Coleman Shelton, Tremayne Anchrum Jr. and now Steve Avila, but Bruss has the talent to be a starter in the NFL and, after all, he was L.A.’s top pick in 2022. They’d hate for him to be on the bench for another season, so he’ll get every opportunity to play this year.
His best chance is to beat out Shelton at one of the guard spots, which would allow Shelton to back up Brian Allen (or take his place) and give the Rams two young starting guards with Bruss and Avila.
3
OLB Daniel Hardy
Hardy was projected to be a starter before the Rams drafted three edge rushers, but there’s a chance he’ll still be one of the top two outside linebackers in 2023. He was a seventh-round pick last year and though his playing time was limited, he should have benefitted from being in an NFL workout program for a year.
Even if Byron Young turns into a Day 1 starter and Nick Hampton contributes as a rookie, there’s plenty of room for Hardy (or Keir Thomas) to emerge as a starter alongside Michael Hoecht, who could also transition back to a defensive end role.
4
S Russ Yeast
Yeast suited up for 15 games and played 113 defensive snaps last season, gaining some valuable experience as a seventh-round rookie. We saw the aggressiveness he plays with in brief flashes last season and if he can rein it in a bit, he can be a tone-setter on the back end, similar to the way Nick Scott was for Los Angeles.
Scott and Taylor Rapp both left in free agency this year, which makes Jordan Fuller the top safety on the roster. The Rams need a second starter and with how often they use three-safety sets, potentially a reliable third option.
5
CB Derion Kendrick
Kendrick is in a similar spot as Durant, only he doesn’t have as high of a ceiling as his fellow 2022 draftee. Kendrick had an up-and-down rookie season in which he started six games before eventually being benched for his midseason struggles. His upside is limited because of his lack of speed and overall athleticism, but in zone coverage, he can still be successful.
Kendrick will need to beat out Robert Rochell, Hodges-Tomlinson and others such as Shaun Jolly, which shouldn’t be terribly difficult. The Rams are hoping he can do exactly that so they don’t have to rely on an undrafted rookie or a low-ceiling player like Shaun Jolly.
6
S Quentin Lake
Lake has a similar skill set to Fuller, which might make it difficult for him to get much playing time in 2023. The Rams could opt for a player more in the mold of Yeast or Jason Taylor II to start alongside Fuller instead of Lake. However, Lake is a smart player who can patrol the deep part of the field, which has some value in three-safety sets when the Rams are playing quarters coverage.
Injuries happen and there’s a good chance Los Angeles will call upon Lake at some point in the season if he doesn’t begin the year as a starter. He’ll need to be ready in case a player ahead of him does go down.
