Turf Show Times
Will Jordan Whittington, Tyler Davis, or another Rams second-year player have the biggest jump?
The Los Angeles Rams did more than just okay with their first four picks in 2024, adding Defensive Rookie of the Year Jared Verse, third-place DROY finisher Braden Fiske, and safety Kamren Kinchens, who posted four interceptions last season.
But aside from those three and third round running back Blake Corum, which Rams draft pick from 2024 will show the most improvement in 2025 and have the biggest impact on the field for L.A. next season?
The Rams drafted kicker Joshua Karty in the sixth round, but I’m excluding him from the voting because his role is merely too different from offensive and defensive players to really compare his impact. Plus, we know that Karty is going to have an important role on the Rams already.
Despite being L.A.’s first pick on day three, Jackson had a lesser role than just about anyone else on this list. In seven games, the former Washington State University edge rusher had 47 snaps on defense and 56 on special teams, finishing with three tackles and one batted pass.
By drafting Josaiah Stewart in the third round, the Rams made the edge room even more crowded going into 2025 training camp. It could come down to Jackson or Nick Hampton to make the final roster. Both were drafted in the fifth round.
Davis quietly accumulated 299 snaps as a rookie and finished with 29 tackles and two tackles for a loss. However, the Rams drafted Ty Hamilton in the fifth round and signed Poona Ford to start in the middle of their defensive line, perhaps showing just a modicum of hesitation to hand the position over to Davis full-time.
Hope for Whittington to be L.A.’s next huge steal at wide receiver are still percolating in the air a little bit, but perhaps fading a little bit with some of the teams moves this offseason. Whittington had 22 catches for 293 yards and no touchdowns as a rookie — not bad numbers for a sixth round pick (better than second rounder Ja’Lynn Polk or third rounders Jermain Burton and Luke McCaffrey) — but the team is still fully burying him on the depth chart.
The Rams gave $10 million to Tutu Atwell, replaced Cooper Kupp with Davante Adams, drafted Konata Mumpfield, and also picked another receiving option with tight end Terrance Ferguson.
Though Whittington was pretty productive in his three start last season, totaling 243 yards in those games, he’s not being handed a bigger role in 2025.
No rookie offensive player on the Rams had a bigger impact that Limmer, who ended up starting 14 games at center because of injuries and a poor signing with Jonah Jackson. Limmer earned praise week after week, but apparently not quite enough because the Rams signed Coleman Shelton to start and push Limmer back to the bench....
