When you have two superstars in Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey, it’s hard to rank low on the spectrum of NFL defenses. That’s exactly what’s keeping the Rams defense above average because there are other positions on that side of that ball with questions still to answer and voids to fill after an offseason of departures.
But, with a pass rusher like Donald and a lockdown corner like Ramsey, the Rams are in good shape. Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire still has reservations about the Rams’ pass rush, safety depth and cornerback group behind Ramsey, but he sees Los Angeles as one of the best defenses in the NFL.
He ranked every defense in the league and put the Rams surprisingly high, slotting them in at No. 8. Here’s what he wrote about the unit led by Donald and Ramsey.
Now, things get interesting. With Wade Phillips replaced by Brandon Staley, it’s up to the first-time NFL defensive coordinator to replace a living legend, and Staley will have limited resources to work with. Yes, Aaron Donald is still the best defensive player in the game, and Jalen Ramsey can be a top-flight cornerback, but pass rush, safety depth, and the cornerback group after Ramsey are question marks at this point. The ranking here is optimistic based on the talent of the front-line stars, but any deviation in performance could lead to a sub-par finish — and it’s not obvious that the Rams have the offensive firepower to make up for that. The guy to watch here is third-round pass-rusher Terrell Lewis from Alabama. Injuries abbreviated Lewis’ impact as a college player, but he showed as much talent as anybody at his position during a relatively healthy 2019 season.
The Rams’ biggest question marks on defense are at inside linebacker, outside linebacker and at the nickel spot. The Rams lost or parted ways with key players at all of those spots, including Dante Fowler Jr., Clay Matthews, Cory Littleton and Nickell Robey-Coleman.
Leonard Floyd was brought in to help replace Matthews, while Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, Samson Ebukam and rookie Terrell Lewis could start on the opposite side at outside linebacker. Inside, we could see Micah Kiser replace Littleton, while David Long Jr., Darious Williams and rookie Terrell Burgess could all play nickel corner.
The Rams are stout up front on the defensive line and have quality starters at safety, but in order to finish as one of the best defenses in the NFL next season, they’ll need to get contributions from young players at linebacker and cornerback.
[vertical-gallery id=633004]