The Los Angeles Rams are going to look a lot different on the defensive side of the ball entering the 2023 season. With the new faces and uncertainty surrounding each position, ESPN’s Mike Clay ranked the Rams’ cornerback and edge rusher groups 32nd in the NFL.
2023 NFL Cornerback Unit Ranks and Depth Charts.
The Jalen Ramsey trade launches the Dolphins to #1 and sinks the Rams to #32 pic.twitter.com/gQW9P8Jknw
— Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) May 15, 2023
Earlier this offseason, the Rams traded All-Pro Jalen Ramsey to the Miami Dolphins, leaving the team with a few inexperienced cornerbacks. The current depth chart has Decobie Durant, Derion Kendrick, and Robert Rochell holding starting spots, while rookie Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson could earn a role early on.
There’s a chance the Rams still add a veteran cornerback this offseason, making a reunion with Troy Hill a possibility. Hill remains a free agent after rejoining the Rams via trade before the 2022 season.
Similar to the cornerback position, the Rams have a handful of unproven players at the edge rusher spot.
2023 NFL Edge Rusher Unit Ranks and Depth Charts.
This league has some incredible duos…but the Vikings addition of Marcus Davenport gets them to the top. pic.twitter.com/hoTBhT43gg
— Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) May 10, 2023
Upon releasing Leonard Floyd earlier this offseason, the Rams don’t have much experience off of the edge. During the 2023 NFL draft, the Rams added Byron Young, Nick Hampton, and Ochaun Mathis in hopes to find a long-term solution to the team’s pass-rushing woes for players not named Aaron Donald.
There are a ton of question marks surrounding the cornerback and edge rusher positions on the Rams, so it’s understandable to have them near the bottom of the league in both groups. While the Rams could add veterans at both positions before the season begins, it’s clear that the team is going to rely on a bevy of young players in 2023.
