The Los Angeles Rams are an interesting team to discuss entering the 2023 season as they’ll look quite different from a season ago. With the Rams setting their sights on the future, PFF’s Brad Spielberger listed Aaron Donald, Cooper Kupp, and Steve Avila as the team’s primary building blocks.
Donald has essentially been the best defensive player in the NFL since entering the league in 2014. The seven-time All-Pro has racked up 103 sacks in his career and continues to be a dominant force in the interior despite missing six games in 2022, which is why EA Sports rewarded him a 99 overall rating for a record seventh time in Madden NFL 24.
Kupp was another veteran that missed time in 2022 because of an injury as he was sidelined for eight games. The former Super Bowl MVP is one season removed from achieving the elusive triple crown for wide receivers, and he’ll continue operating as Matthew Stafford’s go-to target in his age-30 season.
With their first pick in the 2023 NFL draft, the Rams took Steve Avila out of TCU to improve the interior of their offensive line. Avila figures to start as a rookie and we’ve seen teams benefit from building around their offensive line unit.
Even though the Rams are viewed as a team that could sputter in 2023, they still have a few players who are worth building around on both sides of the ball – even if 35-year-old Matthew Stafford isn’t considered one of them in the eyes of PFF.
