There won’t be any rookie starters for the Los Angeles Rams this season, but their draft class will still make an impact as role players. Many of them were treated as first-stringers in the team’s preseason opener against the Raiders on Saturday night, getting the nod as starters.
Here’s how the Rams’ rookies performed in their first game action.
S Taylor Rapp: A
Rapp shined against the Raiders, standing out as one of the best players on the field. He made two tackles and broke up one pass, showing good speed, range and physicality in his preseason debut. Sean McVay heaped praise on him in the aftermath of the game, too, saying he was “a really bright spot” against Oakland.
He had a big impact in only 22 plays, proving why he was deserving of the Rams’ top pick in the draft. Rapp is going to get on the field early this season.
RB Darrell Henderson: C+
There was a lot of hype and anticipation surrounding Henderson leading up to this game, but he was limited by Oakland’s defense. He finished as the Rams’ leading rusher, but only with 13 yards on six carries. Two of those rush attempts went for 7 yards each, so Henderson went backwards on his other four carries cumulatively.
There wasn’t a lot of running room and Henderson showed good quickness, but it was an underwhelming debut for the rookie. The Rams clearly wanted to get him involved as he touched the ball on seven of his 20 snaps.
CB David Long: B-
Long got beat on a deep pass down the sideline, failing to get his head around to the ball. It was a great catch by the receiver, and fairly tight coverage by Long, but he played the receiver instead of the ball. Overall, it was a relatively uneventful night for the rookie cornerback.
He only played 25 snaps (34 percent) so it’s not as if he was on the field for the entire game, which limited his opportunities.
OL Bobby Evans: D
Evans really struggled against the Raiders. He played every single snap, which is never a good sign for a player in the first preseason game. The coaching staff clearly wasn’t satisfied with the way he was playing, keeping him out there to give him as many chances as possible. He allowed a sack to Arden Key while lined up at left tackle and allowed another pressure while at right tackle, struggling in pass protection as the game went on.
NT Greg Gaines: B+
Gaines only played 18 snaps, but he won a few reps when given one-on-one opportunities. He drew a holding penalty and pressured the quarterback on another play, showing good quickness and technique on the interior. Joseph-Day hasn’t necessarily done anything to relinquish his lead at nose tackle, but Gaines stood out on a couple occasions in limited action Saturday night.
OL David Edwards: C-
Edwards played left and right tackle against Oakland as the Rams continue to figure out who fits in best at each offensive line spot, but neither position was better than the other. He had a false start and got flagged for holding in what was a rough performance for the rookie offensive lineman. His roster spot isn’t in any danger, but Edwards has to play better next time out against the Cowboys.
S Nick Scott: C
Scott’s primary contributions will come on special teams, but the Rams gave him some playing time at safety, too. His speed is apparent, but he missed an open-field tackle on a receiver which led to additional yards after the catch. The Rams don’t necessarily need him to contribute much on defense with Taylor Rapp and Marqui Christian backing up the starters, but anything he can do at safety is a bonus.
LB Dakota Allen: B-
Allen was out there for 25 snaps and made four total tackles (one solo). Just the fact that he played was a good sign because he was previously battling an injury that limited his work in practice, so this performance must be viewed through a somewhat different scope. He wasn’t perfect in his debut Saturday but he was often where he needed to be and got off blocks fairly well.
