Although there’s sure to be plenty of moves before Week 1, the Los Angeles Rams have done the hard part of setting their initial 53-man roster for the 2024 season. They cut down from 90 players to only 53 on Tuesday, keeping five undrafted rookies on the roster as of now.
Understandably, the roster looks very different than it did this time last year. There are a lot of new faces, particularly on defense, with another infusion of young talent on the team.
How does this group compare to the initial 2023 team? Here’s a position-by-position breakdown of the Rams’ 53-man roster last year and this season.
Quarterback
| 2023 | 2024 |
| Matthew Stafford | Matthew Stafford |
| Stetson Bennett | Stetson Bennett |
The Rams have the same two quarterbacks as they had on last year’s initial 53-man roster, though it’ll change in Week 3 when Jimmy Garoppolo returns from his two-game suspension.
Running back
| 2023 | 2024 |
| Cam Akers | Kyren Williams |
| Kyren Williams | Blake Corum |
| Ronnie Rivers | Ronnie Rivers |
| Zach Evans |
Williams and Rivers are back after making the team last year, welcoming Corum to the mix as the backup, as well. Evans made the roster last year as a sixth-round rookie but he was cut this time around.
Wide receiver
| 2023 | 2024 |
| Cooper Kupp | Cooper Kupp |
| Van Jefferson | Puka Nacua |
| Tutu Atwell | Demarcus Robinson |
| Puka Nacua | Tutu Atwell |
| Ben Skowronek | Jordan Whittington |
| Demarcus Robinson | Tyler Johnson |
It’s six receivers again for the Rams and the top five could all play meaningful roles. Whittington might even be ahead of Atwell, whose role is very much up in the air, especially with Williams returning punts
Tight end
| 2023 | 2024 |
| Tyler Higbee | Colby Parkinson |
| Brycen Hopkins | Davis Allen |
| Hunter Long | Hunter Long |
| Davis Allen |
The Rams went light at tight end this season with Tyler Higbee on the PUP list, leaning on Parkinson, Allen and Long.
Offensive line
| 2023 | 2024 |
| Alaric Jackson | Jonah Jackson |
| Steve Avila | Steve Avila |
| Coleman Shelton | Kevin Dotson |
| Tremayne Anchrum Jr. | Rob Havenstein |
| Rob Havenstein | Joe Noteboom |
| Warren McClendon Jr. | Warren McClendon Jr. |
| Brian Allen | Beaux Limmer |
| Joe Noteboom | Logan Bruss |
| Kevin Dotson | Conor McDermott |
| Zach Thomas |
Alaric Jackson is suspended two games so he’ll be added back to the 53-man roster in Week 3, which will likely cost McDermott his spot on the team. Bruss is a great redemption story after spending last year on the practice squad.
Defensive line
| 2023 | 2024 |
| Aaron Donald | Kobie Turner |
| Bobby Brown III | Bobby Brown III |
| Earnest Brown IV | Braden Fiske |
| Kobie Turner | Tyler Davis |
| Jonah Williams | Cory Durden |
| Desjuan Johnson | Desjuan Johnson |
| Larrell Murchison |
It’s weird to see Donald’s name absent from the 2024 side but that’s the reality of the situation for the Rams now. Turner, Brown and Fiske are a great starting trio, with Davis, Durden and Johnson providing depth.
Inside linebacker
| 2023 | 2024 |
| Ernest Jones | Christian Rozeboom |
| Christian Rozeboom | Troy Reeder |
| Jake Hummel | Jacob Hummel |
| Omar Speights | |
| Elias Neal |
The biggest surprise of the 53-man roster came at inside linebacker where the Rams not only traded Ernest Jones, but they kept five guys on the 53-man roster. That’s a huge number for a team that typically only plays one inside linebacker at a time, but it’s a sign of how well Hummel, Speights and Neal played.
Outside linebacker
| 2023 | 2024 |
| Michael Hoecht | Byron Young |
| Byron Young | Jared Verse |
| Nick Hampton | Michael Hoecht |
| Zach VanValkenburg | Brennan Jackson |
| Ochaun Mathis | Nick Hampton |
Young, Hoecht and Hampton are the only returning edge rushers from last year, with Verse and Jackson being the newcomers. Verse elevates this whole group in a big way and could be in for a big rookie year.
Cornerback
| 2023 | 2024 |
| Cobie Durant | Darious Williams |
| Ahkello Witherspoon | Tre’Davious White |
| Derion Kendrick | Cobie Durant |
| Tre Tomlinson | Josh Wallace |
| Shaun Jolly | Charles Woods |
The only returning cornerback from last year is Durant, making this an entirely new group for Chris Shula to work with. Williams and White arrived in free agency, with Wallace and Woods being undrafted rookies.
Safety
| 2023 | 2024 |
| Jordan Fuller | Kamren Curl |
| John Johnson III | John Johnson III |
| Russ Yeast | Quentin Lake |
| Quentin Lake | Kamren Kinchens |
| Jason Taylor II | Russ Yeast |
| Jaylen McCollough |
The safety room looks very different for the Rams this year, too. Curl is one starter and the other spot will likely be split between Johnson and Kinchens. Lake is a team captain and will be the “star” defender, primarily covering the slot but also being able to play other positions in the secondary. McCollough is another undrafted rookie who made the team.
Special teams
| 2023 | 2024 |
| Ethan Evans | Joshua Karty |
| Alex Ward | Ethan Evans |
| Alex Ward |
The Rams didn’t have a kicker initially last year until they signed Brett Maher to the practice squad. This year, there’s more stability with Karty as the starting kicker after he was a sixth-round draft pick.