It seems almost certain that Quentin Lake is going to be a key player for the Los Angeles Rams this season after emerging as the team’s top slot defender in 2023. It’s just unclear which position he’ll play in Chris Shula’s defense.
A safety by trade, Lake took on a new challenge last season by covering the slot when the Rams were in nickel and dime defenses, which was the majority of the time. However, despite having so much success at that spot, the Rams are toying with the idea of moving him back to a traditional safety role where he’s covering the deep half or middle.
Lake was asked Tuesday about where he expects to play in the secondary this season and he still isn’t sure. All that matters to him is being on the field helping the team win games.
“We’ll see. I think for me, it’s just being on the field,” he said. “That’s the biggest thing. It’s up to the coaches on where they want me to be, but we’ll see. Obviously, we’ve got some new additions, some things could get changed. But for the most part, as long as I’m on the field, I’m OK. I’m good.”
When asked whether he prefers playing safety over nickel, he simply said “it’s different.” He doesn’t seem to have a preference between the two positions, having shown the ability to play either one during his football career.
“I would say it’s different,” he said. “Obviously, I played in a little bit of a different position last year. but like I said, anywhere is fine. You can have the communication aspect at different positions. There are little nuances, but at the end of the day, as long as I’m on the field communicating with the guys and helping the team win, that’s all I can ask for.”
Among all slot defenders last season, Lake allowed the 11th-lowest passer rating in coverage (93.9). He’s a terrific tackler, which helped him limit receivers to only 81 total yards after the catch, the second-lowest of any slot defender.
Given his numbers from a season ago and the Rams’ need for a slot corner, it makes a ton of sense for him to stay in that spot – especially after the team brought back John Johnson III at safety.
Training camp should provide some clarity on Lake’s position but look for him to be on the field a bunch no matter what this year.