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Which Rams rookies could contribute early in their careers?
There is always a lot of excitement when it comes to new rookies joining their teams and that is no exception with the Los Angeles Rams. While they only made six selections, there is already a lot of hype around tight end Terrance Ferguson and linebacker Chris Paul Jr. With that said, it’s also important to temper expectations with a new rookie class. That’s especially the case with this particular Rams class as it seems to have been approached with more of a future mindset than the now. There may not be a Puka Nacua or Kobie Turner in this group of players. Here are the Rams rookies ranked in terms of having the best path to contribute early.
This isn’t to say that Chris Paul Jr. is going to be the starter next to Omar Speights in Week 1. It wouldn’t be surprising if that was Nate Landman or even Troy Reeder. However, Paul is a player that should be able to find a role on special teams. By the time the Rams come off of their bye week in Week 9, he could find himself in the starting lineup.
Back in 2021, Ernest Jones was a third round pick and didn’t make his first start until Week 8 and was consistently in the starting lineup following the Week 11 bye. Paul could follow a similar timeline. At the end of the day, he was still a fifth-round pick for a reason. That’s not to say that he’s not a good player. Still, he could be the next Puka Nacua or the next Brennan Jackson. There will likely be a developmental period as he adjusts to the NFL. However, the path to a starting role is there given the state of the Rams linebacker room.
Unlike past rookie tight ends such as Brycen Hopkins and Davis Allen, Ferguson may see a quicker path to playing time. Not only was he a high second round pick, but it appears that the Rams may shift the identity of the offense slightly. Whereas Hopkins and Allen have been expected to block in-line, that may not be the case for Ferguson. He will be expected to block, but more in the same way that Kupp was asked. Ferguson will be a big slot in the offense as Sean McVay potentially moves to more 12 personnel looks.
It will really come down to how well Ferguson picks up the offense. If he picks up the nuances of the offense quickly, the Rams may find it difficult to take him off of the field. As a rookie, Gerald Everett took 28.8 percent of the team’s offensive snaps and Ferguson could end up in a similar range. The Rams will likely still primarily run 11 personnel with Tyler Higbee as the featured tight end. However, when the Rams do go to two tight ends, that’s when...
