Derion Kendrick has had a rough go of it in his second year with the Los Angeles Rams. In seven starts (and eight appearances) this season, Kendrick has accounted for the fourth-most penalty yards given up among all players in the NFL.
Kendrick is tied with Kansas City Chiefs offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor for the fourth-most penalty yards (70). On the other hand, he’s tied for the second-most penalties called on him (7) with Jerry Jacobs of the Detroit Lions.
players responsible for the most penalty yards in the league this year. AJ Terrell has the most penalty yards surrendered, while Jawaan Taylor has the most penalties overall (and based on NFL Penalty Twitter he should have more iykyk) pic.twitter.com/yiLVe3LS1x
— Arjun Menon (@arjunmenon100) November 1, 2023
Through the first eight weeks, PFF has given Kendrick an overall coverage grade of 55.6. The second-year cornerback is also coming off arguably his worst game of the season, allowing six receptions for 66 yards and a touchdown on seven targets against the Dallas Cowboys.
Mistakes were expected to occur in the secondary for the Rams this season as they have a largely inexperienced group. But for Kendrick, there haven’t been many positives to outweigh the negative mistakes as we approach the midway point of the season.
Out of the first eight games, Kendrick has committed at least one penalty in five, and he’s registered eight missed tackles. With the Rams trying to decipher who can be long-term fixtures in the secondary, Kendrick will need to perform better down the stretch if he wants to remain a starter.
