Disaster seemed to hit the Rams when John Johnson suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in Week 6 against the 49ers. They still had Eric Weddle, but replacing a Pro Bowl-caliber safety like Johnson was not going to be easy.
Fortunately, they got a steal in the draft with Taylor Rapp, who fell to the second round. He stepped in and while there were some rough patches, especially early on, he finished the year as one of the bright spots for Los Angeles.
He ranked third on the team in tackles (108), tied for the lead in interceptions (2) and second in passes defensed (8). Here’s where he finished among all qualified safeties in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus, which puts his rookie year in perspective.
Rookie Taylor Rapp impressed in his debut season with his gritty play in 2019
Among all Safeties last year (min 300 snaps), Rapp ranked:
– T-5th in Defensive Stops
– 8th in Tackling Grade
– T-8th in Total Pass Breakups
– 12th in Total Tackles#LARams pic.twitter.com/dnOUpV0Ctd— PFF LA Rams (@PFF_Rams) January 10, 2020
Rapp’s biggest mistake was the blown coverage against the 49ers in Week 16, allowing a conversion on third-and-16. But there weren’t many other gaffes in Rapp’s game this season. He consistently found himself around the ball, lining up all over the field.
He played deep safety, strong safety and even lined up as a hybrid linebacker in the box at times, showing off his instincts and shiftiness in traffic. Assuming he continues this trajectory, he and Johnson are going to be a formidable duo for a long time – if the Rams choose to keep them together.