Undrafted rookie Jaylen McCollough has had himself a special preseason so far. He’s shined in his two appearances for the Rams, recording five solo tackles, two pass deflections and an interception.
When talking about McCollough’s performance against the Chargers, Sean McVay had high praise for the rookie defensive back.
“I think I’m just not surprised anymore. He’s consistent. He’s a man, got a great demeanor,” McVay said. “I think we’ve got some really impressive young rookies that – I think the best way I can describe it, they’re men. They’ve got a mature, grown demeanor. There’s an ability to communicate with them because of the way they understand this game and some of the things that we’re asking within the scheme. He plays with a physical toughness. He’s got a mental toughness. I’m a big fan of Jaylen McCollough and it only continues to grow just by the way he handles himself. You guys have heard me talk about feeling certain defensive players when you’re out there. You feel him and he’s continued to show up. I was happy for him. He’d better have made that pick though, right? I mean, come on. That’s more on the tip there, but he’s done a lot of good stuff. The pick wasn’t the most impressive thing he did last night by any stretch. I’d crush him if he didn’t catch that one.”
With a public backing from his head coach, combined with needs in the DB room, a strong performance against the Texans in the preseason finale could guarantee at least a practice squad spot. But an outstanding game could propel McCollough onto the 53-man roster as an undrafted rookie – an accomplishment worth applauding.