The Rams secondary lost a key piece this offseason when Darious Williams opted to sign with the Jaguars in free agency. He was the team’s No. 2 cornerback for the last two years, excelling opposite Jalen Ramsey at cornerback.
His spot will be filled by Troy Hill, who the Rams acquired from the Browns in a draft-day trade. They also drafted Decobie Durant and Derion Kendrick, and also have David Long Jr. returning after a positive showing in the postseason.
It may not be a secondary filled with stars outside of Ramsey, but it’s still a really good collection of talent when you account for Jordan Fuller, Taylor Rapp and Nick Scott at safety, too.
Pro Football Focus ranked every secondary in the NFL heading into the 2022 season and the Rams barely cracked the top 10, coming in at No. 9 – the top team in the second tier, which was titled “minor question marks.”
This ranking would look a lot different without Jalen Ramsey factoring in. The Rams’ secondary would be closer to Tier 5 than Tier 2 without him. That’s just how valuable elite cornerbacks are. Ramsey has averaged only 477 yards allowed per season in a Rams uniform despite routinely shadowing top receivers.
PFF is projecting Long and Hill to start at cornerback with Ramsey, and Fuller and Rapp to remain the starters at safety. However, Scott might have a better chance to start than Rapp after his stellar performance in the playoffs.
Scott is better in coverage and still brings the hammer as a hitter, making him a quality player to have in the secondary. There’s also Terrell Burgess, who as a former third-round pick hasn’t gotten much playing time yet with the Rams.
It’s a group of players that has a lot of unproven talent, but also the best cornerback in football – which raises up the entire secondary.
