Rams’ 23 most important players for 2023

Rams’ 23 most important players for 2023 – No. 9: TE Tyler Higbee

Along with Aaron Donald, Cooper Kupp and Matthew Stafford, Tyler Higbee heads into the 2023 season as one the few veterans on the Rams’ roster. He’s an experienced tight end who can block and split out as a receiver, and though he’s lost a step at the age of 30, he’ll be there to contribute just about every Sunday.

From a leadership perspective, as well as an on-field viewpoint, Higbee is one of the Rams’ most important players this year. He can give Stafford a safety blanket in the middle of the field and take away some attention from Kupp, taking advantage of the single-coverage he gets from linebackers.

2022 stats

108 targets, 72 catches, 620 yards
3 touchdowns
6 drops (PFF)
82.2 passer rating when targeted (PFF)

Position group

The Rams made two key additions to their tight end room this offseason. They acquired Hunter Long in the Jalen Ramsey trade, and in the draft, they selected Davis Allen in the fifth round. It’s unclear how much either player will contribute this season, but they should be able to help in a couple of different ways.

Allen has a massive catch radius, which could be useful in the red zone. Long is a well-rounded tight end capable of assisting as a blocker, too.

Higbee shouldn’t have much trouble holding off both players as the starting tight end, especially as a do-it-all player who can block and catch. Brycen Hopkins is also in the mix, potentially working as the No. 2 tight end. It’s a position group with some potential, but Higbee should still be the top option at tight end.

2023 outlook

Higbee set career-highs in targets and receptions last season, but it didn’t translate to a lot of meaningful production. He had just 620 yards, averaging 8.6 yards per catch – the second-lowest of his career. He caught a lot of his passes near the line of scrimmage and after the catch, he didn’t make much happen.

Heading into 2023, Higbee is healthy and ready to maintain his role as the starting tight end in Los Angeles. The biggest issue he must address is the drops, of which he had six last year – twice as many as he had in any other season, and only one fewer than the previous three years combined.

We all know Cooper Kupp is going to be the No. 1 target on offense, but the Rams could use a reliable No. 2 option. It could be Van Jefferson, but it also could be Higbee at tight end, especially after seeing the large number of targets that he did in 2022.