Wins and losses are determined by more than just the talent on a team’s roster, but that obviously plays a big part in it. That’s not a great sign for the Rams this year because according to ESPN, they have the worst roster in the NFL.
ESPN’s Mike Clay went position by position and ranked every team accordingly, weighing each position based on importance; quarterback is clearly more valuable than running back. In the overall rankings, no team finished lower than the Rams. Not even the Arizona Cardinals, who are widely viewed as the worst team in the NFL for 2023.
Here’s where the Rams ranked at each position:
- QB: 15
- RB: 29
- WR: 25
- TE: 21
- OL: 30
- Interior DL: 11
- EDGE: 32
- Off-ball LB: 32
- CB: 32
- Safety: 29
It’s clear that the defense is what’s weighing the Rams down in these rankings, finishing third-worst or lower at four of the five spots on that side of the ball. The only exception was the interior D-line, which ranked 11th thanks to Aaron Donald.
There’s no question the Rams are lacking talent at edge rusher, but ranking them last at off-ball linebacker despite having Ernest Jones feels overly critical. The same goes for the cornerback group with Cobie Durant and Ahkello Witherspoon emerging as two solid starters.
And putting the wide receivers 25th? Cooper Kupp will be healthy for Week 1 and should return to the form he showed in 2021 and the first half of 2022. Van Jefferson is a capable No. 2, too.
The Rams are unquestionably a bottom-third team in terms of talent, but saying they’re the worst roster in the NFL doesn’t seem accurate.
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