There was a great deal of excitement when the Los Angeles Rams moved up to select Greg Gaines out of Washington at No. 134 overall in the draft. It seemed they found their replacement for Ndamukong Suh at nose tackle, potentially upgrading the run defense in the process.
That could very well be the case, but it’s also possible the Rams already had Suh’s replacement on the roster. Sebastian Joseph-Day was drafted in the sixth round last year and while he was inactive for every game, he could be in line to start next season.
He’s gotten first-team reps at nose tackle this spring and Wade Phillips really likes what he’s seen from the second-year player.
“Gaines has come in, but I think a lot of our second-year players have really stepped up too,” Phillips said Tuesday. “They’ve been through it for a year and I think especially Sebastian Joseph-Day has really stepped up. We thought he had potential last year, he kept working at it through the year. He’s a real strong, powerful guy inside, so he’s stepped in there and looked good this spring, so we’re looking forward to him coming through the second year, too.”
It’s hard for fans to get excited about Joseph-Day because he didn’t appear in a single game last season, but he has a great deal of potential. At 310 pounds, he may not be the biggest nose tackle in the world. However, he’s good against the run despite not offering much as a pass rusher.
Having a year to learn from Suh, Aaron Donald and Michael Brockers puts him a step ahead of Gaines, too, which will help him in training camp and the preseason. Don’t be surprised if he grabs a hold of the starting nose tackle spot in Week 1.
