Cobie Durant was thrust into action in Week 2 out of necessity, stepping in after Troy Hill went down with an injury. He made an immediate impact, picking off Marcus Mariota and returning it 51 yards – to go along with a sack later on in the game.
But after that performance against Atlanta, the rookie cornerback didn’t play a single defensive snap again until Week 13. He missed Weeks 3-6 with a hamstring injury, but he returned and was able to play special teams in Week 8 … and Week 9, 10, 11, and 12. Yet, still no defensive snaps.
It wasn’t until Week 13 that he got another shot, playing 40% of the defensive snaps against the Seahawks. Then he played 62% the following week, 65% in the next game and finally a season-high 76% on Sunday against the Broncos.
And he’s continued to get better as the season has gone on, putting together a career-best performance against Denver with two picks that he returned for a total of 100 yards – including an 85-yard pick-six to cap off a 51-point day by the Rams.
Both of his interceptions were impressive plays, the first being a leaping grab over the middle and the second being an excellent read on the quarterback, jumping in front of the pass for the pick.
According to PFF, he finished the game with a 94.7 overall grade, which was not only the highest on the Rams, but the best in the NFL for any defensive player this week.
.@One4_era with the early INT!! 🦈
📺 @NFLonCBS pic.twitter.com/d2tybRRiiZ
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) December 25, 2022
PICK, PICK, HOORAY!
📺 @One4_era @NFLonCBS pic.twitter.com/7Nf2GK3YSu
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) December 26, 2022
All of a sudden, Durant leads the NFL with 151 interception return yards, showing he’s a playmaker when he does get a chance on defense. The question now is why wasn’t he given a chance earlier in the season when he was exclusively playing special teams for five games?
Sure, he’s made some rookie mistakes on defense, like coming downhill too aggressively on screen passes, but he’s also made some great plays – including a diving pass breakup against the Seahawks in Week 13.
He has the athleticism and instincts to be a starting cornerback and he’s shown that in the last four weeks. It’s fun to see him flying around the secondary making plays alongside Jalen Ramsey, it just would’ve been nice to see him get a shot while the Rams were still in contention, not after the season was all but lost.
