Super Bowls aren’t won by one or two players. It takes the entire team to win a championship. But with that said, a select group of players undoubtedly have a bigger impact on the success of a team than others do.
For the Los Angeles Rams, their top-heavy roster is filled with stars, but also key role players. From Justin Hollins on down, the Rams have 25 players who will be critical as Los Angeles attempts to win its second straight Super Bowl.
Here are the team’s 25 most important players, ranked in descending order.
25
OLB Justin Hollins
Hollins may not be one of the Rams’ best players, but he provides a lot of value this season. He’s expected to be the early-down starter opposite Leonard Floyd, potentially splitting time with Terrell Lewis. Hollins is a good run defender and sets edges well, though he does need to improve as a pass rusher. He provides a little bit of stability at a position with major question makers behind Floyd.
24
S Nick Scott
It’s no coincidence that the Rams defense played as well as it did last postseason when Scott was a starting safety. He has great range and can still lay the wood as a hitter, which should translate to a bigger role this year. Scott offers much better coverage skills than Taylor Rapp and is a nice complement to Jordan Fuller.
23
K Matt Gay
It’s hard to make deep playoff runs and win Super Bowls without a reliable kicker. The Rams have exactly that with Gay, who’s become one of the best kickers in football the last two years. If the offense struggles in the red zone again this year, at least they know Gay will come through for three points.
22
LB Ernest Jones
Jones may not seem as important this year after Bobby Wagner’s arrival, but he remains a key part of the defense. He even said recently that he feels his role has grown with Wagner coming aboard. Jones helps as a pass rusher and blitzer, as well as a run stopper on early downs. The Rams have much better flexibility on defense with two starting-caliber linebackers.
21
DE A’Shawn Robinson
Robinson might’ve been the Rams’ most underrated defender in not just the Super Bowl, but throughout the postseason. He stepped up in a big way as a stout run defender, allowing very little space on his side of the line. Robinson will play a ton on first and second downs, and if he can get even better as a rusher, he’ll stay on the field on third down, too.
20
RB Darrell Henderson Jr.
Running backs aren’t wildly important in today’s NFL, let alone backup running backs. But with Cam Akers’ injury history and Henderson’s receiving ability, there’s no question No. 27 is a valuable player. He’s a big-play threat who works best as a change-of-pace back, keeping defenses on their toes whenever he touches the ball.
19
WR Van Jefferson
Wide receiver depth isn’t a problem for the Rams, carrying seven players on the roster. But only three of them are truly starting-quality receivers, and Jefferson is one. As much as the team likes Ben Skowronek and Tutu Atwell, Jefferson is a much better player right now and with how reliant the Rams are on 11 personnel, Jefferson is a key part of this offense.
18
RG Coleman Shelton
Shelton is in his first season as a starter, replacing Austin Corbett at right guard. The Rams already lost his backup, Logan Bruss, for the year to a torn ACL and MCL, so depth isn’t a strength of this offensive line. Shelton must play well in order for the offense to maintain its high level of play.
17
CB David Long Jr.
Long figures to be one of the three starters at cornerback this season, alongside Jalen Ramsey and Troy Hill. Considering nickel is the Rams’ base defense, Long will be on the field a lot. He needs to play the way he did in the postseason when he helped shut down opposing offenses as a starter with Ramsey and Darious Williams.
16
NT Greg Gaines
Gaines’ ascent last season was a blast to watch. He went from backup nose tackle to every-down player for the Rams, not only stopping the run, but also generating a ton of pressure as a pass rusher on the interior. Gaines is unquestionably one of the most important players on Los Angeles’ defense.
15
S Jordan Fuller
Fuller was listed as a co-starter on the depth chart this summer, but it’s hard to imagine him not starting. He was the defensive signal caller last season and has been a key starter for two years. Fuller should have a sizable role again this season as one of the two best safeties on the roster.
14
LG David Edwards
Edwards retains his starting job at left guard and as an experienced player now, he’ll need to continue to progress as a blocker, especially in pass protection. He can provide a lot of stability on an offensive line that’s undergone some changes this offseason.
13
C Brian Allen
Allen was voted a Pro Bowl alternate last season, which goes to show how well he played in his return as a starter. He got a contract extension this year, a vote of confidence from the coaching staff and front office, putting even more on the shoulders of the Rams’ starting center. His connection with Matthew Stafford is critical, too, diagnosing the defense pre-snap.
12
CB Troy Hill
Hill returned to the Rams via trade this offseason after spending 2021 with the Browns. It was an important acquisition for the Rams because he not only has experience in this defense, but he was a valuable starter in 2020. He’s a ball hawk and someone who excels in this Vic Fangio-inspired scheme, making him a perfect fit with the Rams again.
11
RB Cam Akers
The Rams’ running game stunk last year, and it’s partly because they were without Akers for almost the entire season. Though he wasn’t highly efficient when he returned, he ran hard and showed the same explosiveness we saw in 2020. He can provide a real spark and balance to this offense when healthy, as well as some versatility as a receiver. Expect to see Akers heavily involved this year.
10
WR Allen Robinson
Robinson is going to have a sizable impact on this offense in 2022. He’s a big, physical receiver who might be one of the best contested-catch players in the NFL, something the Rams lacked last season. Whether it’s in the red zone or on deep shots down the field, he’s going to make a ton of plays for Stafford. As a true No. 1 receiver in his own right, he’ll take pressure off of Cooper Kupp and make life easier for both of them.
9
LB Bobby Wagner
Wagner immediately steps in as a leader on defense, wearing the green dot and being voted a captain. Not only does he help the run defense, but he’s also incredibly smart in coverage when teams try to throw the ball over the middle. Plus, his arrival allows the Rams to be more creative with Jones at linebacker. Wagner is already a very important player in Los Angeles, beyond just his ability on the field.
8
RT Rob Havenstein
Havenstein takes over as the eldest lineman for the Rams after Andrew Whitworth retired, becoming a leader and a captain in Los Angeles. Havenstein is an underrated right tackle and truly one of the best in the NFL at his position, doing an excellent job as a pass blocker and a road-grading run blocker. He’s an essential part of this team.
7
LT Joe Noteboom
Is it fair to put Noteboom, in his first year as a starting left tackle, at No. 7 on this list? Maybe not, but he is going to be a major factor in deciding whether the Rams offense takes a step back in 2022 or continues to improve. He’s already proved to be a good starter when he filled in for Whitworth, but doing so for 17 games (and with teams studying more film on him) is a different challenge.
6
TE Tyler Higbee
Higbee is one of two tight ends on the 53-man roster. That alone makes him an essential part of this team. Granted, they won Super Bowl LVI with Higbee sidelined due to injury, but that doesn’t make him any less important. They can’t afford to lose him for an extended period of time with Brycen Hopkins being the only other linebacker on the team.
5
OLB Leonard Floyd
Floyd will play just about every snap on defense this season as the top edge rusher, and the departure of Von Miller makes Floyd’s role even more important. He needs to provide steady pressure from the outside, complementing Aaron Donald and Gaines on the interior. If Floyd can’t continue to play at a high level, the defense is going to fall off. That’s how critical he is to the success of this unit and the team as a whole.
4
WR Cooper Kupp
The top four on this list aren’t completely interchangeable, but there’s no question that they’re the four most important players on this team. Kupp is among them, of course, playing an essential role in the Rams’ Super Bowl run last year. Without him, they probably don’t win it all. It was good to see him stay healthy for the entire season after dealing with injuries in years past, showing what he can do when afforded the chance to play every game.
No one can deny his impact on the offense after the year he put together in 2021, and while it’ll be hard for him to match those numbers, he’s still going to be good for 100 catches and 1,100-plus yards.
3
CB Jalen Ramsey
Ramsey is the best defensive back in the league and the way he impacts the game on that side of the ball is immeasurable. Whether he’s blitzing, covering No. 1 receivers or lining up in the slot to be close to the action, Ramsey has an effect on just about every play – even if the ball doesn’t go his way.
I would put him in a tie with Kupp for the third-most important player on the team entering 2022 because the Rams aren’t winning a ring without either one, but Ramsey leads a secondary that has some question marks on the back end.
2
DT Aaron Donald
Really, he’s been the face of the franchise for most of the last decade, consistently proving to be arguably the best player in football. As much as Ramsey and Kupp impact the game, Donald does so even more. That’s how good he is.
He had a career-high 84 tackles last season and recorded 12.5 sacks, doing everything along the defensive line. Even when he isn’t the one making the play, he’s affecting the opposing offense by forcing them to change the way they attack the Rams defense.
1
QB Matthew Stafford
Hypothetically speaking, if Stafford were to get hurt and miss, say, six games, how many of them would the Rams win? Two? They don’t have a great backup quarterback and the difference in the offense just from Jared Goff to Stafford was massive, so you can imagine what this team would look like with John Wolford or Bryce Perkins leading it.
Stafford is the single most important player with regards to the Rams’ Super Bowl chances, and the Rams need him to not only stay healthy – *cough* right elbow *cough* – but also play even better than he did last year when he threw a league-high 17 interceptions. There’s plenty of reason to believe he will improve in Year 2 with the Rams.
