When Robert Rochell was drafted by the Rams in the fourth round last year, he was viewed as a fairly raw prospect who might need some time to develop before becoming a starter. It didn’t take long for him to crack the starting lineup, however, making his first start in Week 5 against the Seahawks.
Rochell made five total starts and appeared in 11 games, though he likely would’ve played even more had it not been for a wrist and rib injury – the latter of which landed him on injured reserve in December.
Sean McVay doesn’t think people realize how much Rochell battled through in 2021, which is why he’s viewing the young cornerback as a rookie this year.
“I look at Robert Rochell in a lot of instances as a rookie because he did some really good things, but I don’t think anybody understands all of the things he was pushing through – whether it’s the wrist injury, he ended up having the lung/rib type of deal,” McVay said this week at OTAs. “He’s a guy that made a great play in 7-on-7 today. You can see the communication in that meeting room with Chris Shula, Jonathan Cooley and Raheem and Lance Schulters has been excellent. Being able to identify some of those younger guys, they fit the mold and looking forward to seeing those guys continue to evolve for us on the back end.”
McVay mentioned Taylor Rapp, Jordan Fuller and Nick Scott as leaders at the safety position, but the Rams also have younger defensive backs who are expected to step up this season, including Rochell.
That group includes rookies Decobie Durant and Derion Kendrick, as well as first-year safeties Russ Yeast and Quentin Lake. Rochell will undoubtedly be ahead of Durant and Kendrick when training camp opens in July, but he’ll need to beat out David Long Jr. for the third cornerback spot behind Jalen Ramsey and Troy Hill.
McVay seems to think highly of the second-year corner, and he could be in for a big 2022 campaign now that he’s fully healthy.
