There’s no lack of star power in the Los Angeles Rams’ secondary with names like Aqib Talib, Marcus Peters and Eric Weddle back there. The pass defense left plenty to be desired last season after Talib missed half the season and Peters consequently struggled, but expectations are once again high for this unit in 2019.
That doesn’t mean the Rams’ cornerback group is considered one of the best in the NFL, though. Pro Football Focus recently ranked the five best cornerback trios in football and the Rams were left off the list. The Chargers got the nod at No. 1, followed by the Ravens, Broncos, Jaguars and Patriots.
The Rams’ cornerback group might not have the top-tier talent that some of those teams have with players such as Jalen Ramsey, Stephon Gilmore and Chris Harris Jr., but their collective skills rival just about any in the NFL.
Talib is still playing at a high level despite being toward the end of his career, Peters is a ball hawk who thrives when put in zone coverage and Nickell Robey-Coleman is one of the best nickel corners in the league.
The trouble with the Rams is consistency. Peters was one of the worst cornerbacks in the league at one point last season but turned it around when Wade Phillips went to a more zone-heavy defense. Talib is a lockdown cornerback but he has to stay healthy and also fight off father time in 2019.
The ceiling of the Rams’ cornerbacks is extremely high if they can play the way they did at the end of last season, but as we saw in the middle of the year when Talib was hurt, it can also be a weak point of the defense.
It’s difficult to say where Los Angeles’ trio should rank on PFF’s list and whether it should be in the top five, but the Rams shouldn’t be far behind teams like the Patriots and Jaguars. Peters and the other DBs having another year in Phillips’ scheme should help them in 2019.
