Turf Show Times
Details continue to emerge about Alaric Jackson’s recent legal troubles, a potential suspension, and the fallout for the Los Angeles Rams. Jackson is an important player for a team with Super Bowl or bust expectations. He was previously suspended for two games earlier in his career, and the NFL’s punishment this time around could be more severe.
Rams fans clamored for a premium investment at the tackle position earlier in the offseason. LA was well positioned in the draft at 13th overall to improve their depth and potentially land a starter for the future. Instead they made the controversial decision to select quarterback Ty Simpson.
Will Los Angeles feel the pressure and make a move ahead of training camp? One potential avenue for adding depth has already been removed, as the Kansas City Chiefs traded Wanya Morris to the Atlanta Falcons in a late-round pick swap.
The Rams may believe they have sufficient replacements already in-house. Let’s go over all we know about these options.
Sean McVay simply doesn’t put rookies on the field before they are ready or until he doesn’t have another option. We’ve seen mid-round pick after mid-round pick use their first season as redshirt years. The plan initially was likely for Trost to do the same; however, he’s as seasoned as draft picks can come and is already an older player.
After the draft I dove into the analytics surrounding Trost. Most view him as a right tackle because of where he played (exclusively) in his final season at Missouri. If you go back to his days at Wake Forest and Indiana State, there is at least proof of concept that he can play on the left side. In terms of frame he may be better suited for the right or inside. Need and desperation trumps hypotheticals every time.
Trost also has the ability to play either tackle position. His time at Missouri was spent exclusively on the right. He alternated during his time at Wake Forest and Indiana State. The Rams also asserted post draft that Trost has the ability to play all five spots along the offensive line, although he played along the interior sparingly in college.
I think there are parallels to draw between Trost and the Rams’ current left tackle in Alaric Jackson. Jackson also played nearly 3,000 snaps in four seasons at Iowa with strong production. The only difference is that Jackson played nearly exclusively at left tackle only.
Jackson was not heralded in the 2021 draft class and was not selected. It’s rare for a former UDFA to become a multi-contract starter at the NFL level, but he defied the odds. Contributing to his lower draft stock was a 2019 knee injury, poor pre-draft athletic testing, and a lackluster Senior Bowl. Similar to Trost, Jackson had the production but teams were concerned how much better he could get as a professional.
At least for 2026 Trost provides experience...
