The Los Angeles Rams, led once more by Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, Aaron Donald, and Sean McVay, are set to embark on their first postseason run since winning the Super Bowl two years ago. But considering the roster change Los Angeles had this offseason, there are a lot of new players on both sides of the ball.
The Rams’ playoff success will be greatly influenced by a number of rookies who have developed into some of the team’s most vital players. The 13 most significant Rams going into the postseason are listed below.
Witherspoon started the year strong but has faded a little bit down the stretch. He’s still the Rams’ unquestioned No. 1 cornerback, which means he’ll play every snap and match up with some talented receivers, but he has to improve now that the postseason has arrived.
He’s particularly susceptible to downfield throws and there have been some busts in coverage between the corners and safeties late in the year. Witherspoon has to clean some of those issues up and ensure wideouts aren’t beating him over the top for big gains.
The Rams generate most of their pressure from the interior with Donald and Turner, but Young can also be a key player on defense. His speed helps him generate power on the edge, while he’s also fast enough to chase down ball carriers when teams run it off-tackle away from his side of the defense.
If Young (or Michael Hoecht) can step up and elevate their play in the postseason, it’ll do wonders for the Rams defense as a whole.
Dotson has injected life into the running game, much like Williams has. The job he’s done at right guard is impressive, not only in pass protection but particularly as a run blocker. He clears big lanes for Williams and has a great chemistry with both Coleman Shelton and Havenstein, which helps the trio work in tandem to pick up blitzes and double team defenders to pave the way for Williams.
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