Tag: Nick Hampton

It’s time for the Rams to end the Michael Hoecht experiment at OLB

Michael Hoecht has struggled to begin the season and the Rams should consider starting someone else at OLB moving forward.

Out of pure desperation, the Los Angeles Rams had Michael Hoecht make the transition from interior defender to edge rusher during the 2022 season. Hoecht would make six starts last season, tallying 4.5 sacks (the most by an edge rusher on the Rams not named Leonard Floyd) and four tackles for loss.

After finishing last season as the starter opposite Floyd — and with Floyd departing in free agency — Hoecht has gotten the nod to start again at outside linebacker this season. Through the first three weeks, the experiment of deploying Hoecht as a starting edge rusher appears to be headed toward disaster.

In Monday night’s loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, Hoecht was a liability against the run and as a pass rusher against a hobbled Joe Burrow. It was just more of the same of what we’ve seen from Hoecht in the first two games for the Rams.

Following the Week 3 loss to the Bengals, Hoecht has just seven total pressures on the season, according to PFF. For comparison, Aaron Donald and rookie Byron Young lead the Rams in pressures with 14 and 13, respectively. Trey Hendrickson of the Bengals finished with 10 total pressures just in Monday night’s matchup.

Missed tackles have also been a major concern for Hoecht, who has only two fewer missed tackles (5) than pressures (7) through Week 3. If Hoecht isn’t going to generate consistent pressure and he’s a liability in the run game, why should he continue to start?

At this point, Hoecht remaining a starter could be telling of the lack of trust the Rams have in their other edge rushers. Aside from Young and Hoecht, Zach VanValkenburg and Nick Hampton have seen minimal playing time.

Also, rookie Ochaun Mathis was placed on injured reserve before the season began because of a knee injury he’s been dealing with since training camp. And even after a strong showing in the preseason, the Rams haven’t shown any intentions of promoting Keir Thomas from the practice squad.

The Rams had just one edge rusher they could lean on in 2022 and it feels like that is transpiring again with Young carrying the load as a rookie. While the options in free agency and on the trade market are limited, the Rams would be wise to consider all of their options instead of continuing to start Hoecht moving forward.

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6 Rams to watch in preseason finale vs. Broncos

The Rams will take on the Broncos this Saturday to finish their preseason schedule and we have 6 players to watch in the matchup.

The Los Angeles Rams are set to conclude their preseason schedule versus the Denver Broncos on Saturday. This is the last chance for players to get live-action reps in hopes of carving out a roster spot for the Rams ahead of the 2023 season.

The Rams are 0-2 in their first two preseason contests, losing to the Los Angeles Chargers and the Las Vegas Raiders. Even though wins don’t matter in the preseason, Sean McVay will want to see improvements across the board on Saturday.

With the Rams set to face the Broncos on the road in the third week of the preseason, here are six players to keep an eye on.

Sean McVay revealed why the Rams haven’t brought in a veteran edge rusher

The Rams have yet to sign a veteran edge rusher this offseason and Sean McVay explained why.

The Los Angeles Rams took three edge rushers during the 2023 NFL draft and many believed they would still potentially add a veteran to round out the pass-rushing unit. The Rams reported to training camp without a veteran edge rusher on the roster this week and Sean McVay explained why the team has decided against adding an experienced outside linebacker thus far.

“I think there was,” McVay said of whether there was consideration given to adding a veteran edge rusher. “When the trajectory of the draft unfolded the way that it did that we were able to get three players that are all kind of different in their own right when you talk about Byron (Young), you talk about Nick (Hampton) and you talk about Ochaun (Mathis) from that outside linebacker position. In addition to watching Michael Hoecht continue to show himself, Daniel Hardy was a guy that did not get a lot of opportunities last year because of some health issues that really flashed in the spring. And so, because we have got so many young guys at that position that are really competing, it was something that we talked about but I think just based on the landscape of the roster and the way that we ended up drafting three players from that position you had some other young guys, did not want to go that direction and then there was some limitations in terms of alright, what are you able to do and what kind of player are you able to really bring in at a position like that?”

During this year’s draft, the Rams took Byron Young, Nick Hampton, and Ochaun Mathis in hopes to bolster their pass-rushing unit. All three of them bring different skill sets and there’s a chance that all of them get an opportunity to see meaningful snaps sooner rather than later.

Besides the rookies, McVay spoke about the emergence of Hoecht last season. He made the transition from interior defender to edge rusher in 2022, and he’s continued to take all of his snaps off of the edge this offseason.

Hardy, who was a seventh-round pick by the Rams in the 2022 NFL draft, is another name that McVay mentioned. Hardy was extremely productive in college, but injuries prevented him from seeing the field much as a rookie last season.

There are still some solid veterans available at the edge rusher position like Jadeveon Clowney, Yannick Ngakoue, Justin Houston, and Melvin Ingram. Even though the Rams could use experience at the edge rusher spot, McVay believes in the young guys the team currently has.

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Rams waive Sam James, sign Nick Hampton and Warren McClendon Jr. to rookie deals

The Rams waived undrafted rookie Sam James and got two more draft picks under contract

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The Rams are on break until training camp next month, but that doesn’t mean Les Snead and Sean McVay aren’t at work churning the roster. We’ve seen the Rams make several changes in recent weeks, signing two free-agent receivers, Tyler Johnson and Demarcus Robinson, as well as running back Sony Michel.

On Wednesday, they made another move. According to Aaron Wilson, the Rams waived undrafted rookie receiver Sam James, who they signed out of West Virginia. It doesn’t come as much of a surprise considering the Rams added Johnson and Robinson.

Additionally, the Rams got two more draft picks under contract: Nick Hampton and Warren McClendon Jr. That brings their total to eight signed rookies, leaving six more still to be signed to their first contracts.

With more than $10 million in cap space, the Rams could make a few more moves before training camp begins to fill out their roster and potentially add some juice to the defense. But for now, they’re looking like one of the youngest and least experienced teams in the league.

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Watch highlights of Rams rookie Nick Hampton from Appalachian State

Nick Hampton finished his career with 26.5 sacks, the 4th most in Appalachian State history

Nick Hampton enjoyed a standout career at Appalachian State, tying for fourth in program history with 26.5 sacks in his career. That helped get him drafted in the fifth round, going 161st overall to the Los Angeles Rams – a team that desperately needs pass rush help.

Hampton may be slightly undersized for the position like fellow rookie pass rusher, Byron Young, but he was a productive player in college and has the athleticism to be even better as a pro.

He should get on the field relatively early thanks to the Rams’ massive holes at outside linebacker, and at the very least, he’ll get opportunities to rush the passer on this downs and in specific rush packages.

See what Hampton brings to the table with the Rams by checking out his highlight reel from college.

5 things to know about Rams rookie OLB Nick Hampton

Get to know Rams rookie Nick Hampton, who can sumo deadlift 600 pounds and run 21 mph

Not long after adding Byron Young in the third round, the Rams double-dipped at edge rusher in the fifth round by selecting Nick Hampton out of Appalachian State 161st overall. They badly needed pass-rush help and Hampton is a terrific athlete who can provide some energy and excitement on the edge.

Hampton may not have played at a Power 5 school, but he was a standout for Appalachian State, spending five years with the Mountaineers. Get to know the rookie pass rusher with five facts about him coming out of the 2023 draft.

What the Rams are getting in OLB Nick Hampton, a potential Day 3 steal

The Rams may have gotten a steal with Nick Hampton in the fifth round. Here’s what he brings to the defense.

The Rams’ pass rush absolutely got better thanks to their concerted effort to add outside linebackers in the draft this weekend. After selecting Byron Young in the third round, the Rams circled back to the pass rush by taking Nick Hampton in the fifth round.

As promising as Young is, Hampton could end up being a Day 3 steal for the Rams. He was given a fourth-round grade by NFL.com, seeing a high ceiling for the Appalachian State product. What pushed Hampton down some draft boards was his size, coming in at just 6-foot-2 and 236 pounds, he’s not what most teams look for in an edge rusher, especially for those teams running a 4-3 defense.

The Rams have no problem betting on his athleticism and pass-rush ability despite being slightly undersized, hoping he’ll find ways to use his explosiveness and bend on the edge to generate consistent pressure on the quarterback.

You can see his burst and acceleration around the corner in the highlight package put together by the Rams below, beating tackles to the outside with his speed and agility.

Because he’s not very big like Leonard Floyd is, Hampton may have some trouble holding up as a run defender on early downs. But even so, he should be able to carve out a role as a rotational pass rusher as a rookie.

In the last two seasons, Hampton had 27 tackles for a loss and 18 sacks for Appalachian State, forcing three fumbles in 2022 alone. He often finds the ball and creates big plays, specifically as a pass rusher.

Dane Brugler of The Athletic gave him a third/fourth-round grade and sees him filling a role similar to Josh Uche, coming onto the field in sub-packages as an edge rusher. If he can improve his rush plan on a consistent basis and not just utilize his speed snap in and snap out, he’ll quickly carve out a role for the Rams and make a name for himself as a weakside pass rusher.

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Here’s how Twitter reacted to Rams taking OLB Nick Hampton with 161st overall pick

The Rams took OLB Nick Hampton with the 161st overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft and people shared their reactions on Twitter.

The Los Angeles Rams lacked consistent pressure from their edge rushers during the 2022 season and they’ve now taken two edge rushers in the 2023 NFL draft. After taking Byron Young out of Tennessee in the third round, the Rams have now used the 161st overall pick on Nick Hampton out of Appalachian State.

Hampton spent all five years of his collegiate career at Appalachian State. In his final two seasons, Hampton combined for 107 tackles, 27 tackles for loss, 18 sacks, and three forced fumbles.

Here are the reactions that ensued after the Rams took Hampton with the 161st overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft.

Rams select Appalachian State OLB Nick Hampton with 161st pick

The Rams added another edge rusher by selecting Appalachian State OLB Nick Hampton

The Los Angeles Rams are being aggressive in their pursuit of pass rushers in the draft. At No. 161 overall in the fifth round, they selected Appalachian State outside linebacker Nick Hampton.

Hampton was given a fourth-round grade by Lance Zierlein of NFL.com, so the Rams are getting a good value in the fifth round. Like Byron Young, the Rams’ third-round pick, Hampton is slightly undersized at just 6-foot-2 and 236 pounds. But he has nearly 34-inch arms, so length isn’t much of an issue despite him being on the shorter side.

He played five years at Appalachian State, totaling 26.5 sacks and 40 tackles for a loss. He also forced six fumbles, recovered three and broke up four passes during his career.

Hampton isn’t a rare athlete but he does have good speed after running a 4.58 in the 40-yard dash with a 1.65-second 10-yard split. He also jumped 35.5 inches in the vertical, which was the seventh-best at his position.

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Lions 2023 draft: A linebacker for (almost) every round

Here is one linebacker prospect that fits the Lions from (almost) every round of the draft

Off-ball linebacker is an area where the Detroit Lions tend to feel better about their team than fans or national pundits do. It’s a position group the Brad Holmes regime has not emphasized in the draft or prominently in free agency in his two-plus years on the job.

Detroit runs a base 4-2-5 defense and sticks with two LBs on the field the vast majority of the time. The Lions ran more offensive plays with a sixth offensive lineman on the field than they did defensive snaps with more than two off-ball LBs in both 2021 and 2022.

The Lions brought back top tackler Alex Anzalone on a 3-year free agent contract that indicates the team’s level of trust and respect in No. 34. Last year’s rookie, Malcolm Rodriguez, outplayed his sixth-round draft status as the other primary off-ball LB. He shared that role with 2021 fourth-rounder Derrick Barnes. The Lions brought back Jalen Reeves-Maybin after a year in Houston and vet Anthony Pittman, though both are in Detroit more for special teams than defense.

Lions 2023 draft: A defensive tackle for every round

Here is one linebacker prospect that fits the Lions from (almost) every round of the draft. Detroit doesn’t currently have any picks in the fourth or seventh rounds, but players from those ranges are included because trades happen all the time during the draft weekend.