Coming out of the draft, the Los Angeles Rams have competition at several spots for not only starting jobs, but snaps as role players, too. They have one of the strongest rosters in the NFL right now with the potential to get even better if young players step up to bolster the depth chart.
Here are the seven biggest position battles on the roster heading into minicamp, OTAs and eventually training camp.
Offensive line
Center: Brian Allen vs. Austin Blythe
Guard: Joseph Noteboom vs. Austin Blythe vs. Bobby Evans vs. David Andrews
The only two positions with locked-in starters up front are at tackle where Andrew Whitworth and Rob Havenstein will continue to man their posts. Other than that, there’s a great lack of clarity on the Rams’ offensive line.
The likeliest scenario is Noteboom starting at left guard, Allen at center and Blythe remaining at right guard, but that’s no certainty. Noteboom will battle Evans and Andrews at left guard, while both of the rookies will also compete at right guard if Blythe moves to center.
Essentially, there could be a domino effect based on where Blythe plays. If the Rams are set on keeping him at right guard, Evans and Andrews will only challenge Noteboom at left guard, thus awarding Allen the starting center job.
Regardless of how this plays out, there will be two new starters on the offensive line.
Prediction: Allen at center, Noteboom at LG, Blythe at RG
Inside linebacker
Micah Kiser vs. Clay Matthews vs. Dakota Allen
Kiser was one of the biggest winners of the draft, considering the Rams waited until their last pick to select an inside linebacker. It was a big vote of confidence from the coaches and front office, almost penciling in Kiser as the starter.
Matthews will play both inside and outside linebacker, so Kiser will have to fight him for playing time, in a sense. But really, his top competition might be Allen, the Rams’ seventh-round pick. Allen probably won’t be anything more than a special teams player and he may not even make the team, but there’s always a chance he’ll step up in camp and the preseason to win the job.
Kiser has the inside track toward being the Day 1 starter next to Cory Littleton.
Prediction: Kiser wins starting job
Defensive line
Michael Brockers vs. John Franklin-Myers vs. Greg Gaines vs. Sebastian Joseph-Day
For clarity purposes, Brockers is (most likely) going to be a starter somewhere up front. It’s just a matter of where, which somewhat depends on how the coaching staff feels about Franklin-Myers, Gaines and Joseph-Day.
If Gaines comes in and beats out Joseph-Day to earn the starting nose tackle job, Brockers will stay at defensive end, holding off Franklin-Myers. However, if Gaines and Joseph-Day fail to step up, and Franklin-Myers looks great in camp, it could entice the Rams to move Brockers to nose tackle and start Franklin-Myers at DE.
Similarly to the offensive line, it’s a fluid situation. Les Snead talked about Brockers’ versatility being an asset, and Brockers himself said he’d be OK with moving to nose tackle. Unless the Rams cut Brockers in a money-saving move – which they’ve pretty much said won’t happen – he’ll start at either nose tackle or defensive end.
Gaines could be the Rams’ lone rookie starter, potentially replacing Ndamukong Suh as the big man in the middle. He might be the true nose tackle the Rams have been looking for, but he still has work to do.
Prediction: Brockers at DE, Gaines at NT
No. 2 outside linebacker
Clay Matthews vs. Samson Ebukam vs. Ogbonnia Okoronkwo
Just as he’ll play inside linebacker, Matthews will also rush the passer off the edge. In fact, that’s probably where he’ll play most. The Rams need pass-rush help more than they need an inside linebacker, so expect to see him outside more than off the ball. That being said, Ebukam and Okoronkwo should contribute next season, too.
Dante Fowler Jr. is making too much money to be a backup, so he’ll be on the field as a full-time pass rusher, which means Ebukam and Okoronkwo will have to prove themselves in order to eat into Matthews’ playing time.
That’s not going to be easy to do, but if one of them can step up in the preseason, it could entice the Rams to play Matthews at inside linebacker more.
Prediction: Matthews starts at OLB
Backup running back
Malcolm Brown vs. Darrell Henderson
The Rams surprisingly drafted a running back in Round 3, which adds another layer of competition to the backfield. Henderson is viewed as a change-of-pace back who can line up almost anywhere on offense, so he won’t be a traditional tailback the way Brown is. Still, they’re going to compete for snaps behind Todd Gurley, who will remain the workhorse, of course.
Henderson has big-play ability and was a home run threat at Memphis, so Sean McVay will certainly want him on the field. It just remains to be seen where he’ll line up most and how much he’ll actually play.
Ultimately, I think Brown will still be the No. 2 RB by title, but Henderson will touch the ball plenty.
Prediction: Brown is RB2
Tight end
Gerald Everett vs. Tyler Higbee
This has been a positional battle ever since Everett was drafted, but this feels like the year he pulls ahead of Higbee as the starting tight end. Last season, Higbee played twice as many snaps as Everett (788 vs. 380). In the playoffs, though, Everett closed the gap and even overtook Higbee as TE1 in the NFC championship and Super Bowl.
McVay’s history of working with tight ends and utilizing players like Jordan Reed and Vernon Davis makes Everett such an enticing option as the Rams’ top tight end. Not to mention, the Rams reportedly tried to trade Higbee for a sixth-round pick last year, so Everett could have the inside track toward the starting job.
Prediction: Everett starts, Higbee is traded
No. 3 safety
Taylor Rapp vs. Marqui Christian
Christian was a part-time player last year, playing 34 percent of the snaps. That’s not a huge amount, but the coaches had confidence in him to cover tight ends and play a hybrid-linebacker role. That job could be given to Rapp, who the Rams drafted 61st overall in the second round after trading back three times.
He brings elite short-area quickness and loves to lay the wood on ball carriers, which should earn him playing time early. The Rams did a lot of work on safeties throughout the pre-draft process, so they were clearly looking for help at that position. It’s difficult to imagine a scenario where Rapp doesn’t get on the field in sub-packages.
Prediction: Rapp beats out Christian
