The Rams were selective in the defensive moves they made during the offseason, but nobody improved more than they did on that side of the ball thanks to the two additions they made at cornerback.
The trade for Chiefs Pro Bowler Trent McDuffie, then signing his teammate,Jaylen Watson, in free agencycompletely changed the complexion of theRams’ defense.
Outside of that, they were relatively quiet in both free agency andthe 2026 NFL Drafton defense. That isn’t necessarily a surprise, as they are brimming with young talent at nearly every position. But in terms of noise, they could not have been any louder in improving their cornerback room, which was their biggest weakness last season.
Here is a look at where the defensive depth chart stands, post free agencyand draft:
Starters:DE Braden Fiske, NT Poona Ford, DT Kobie Turner
Reserves:Ty Hamilton, Jaxson Moi, Jalen Logan-Redding, Tyler Davis, Tim Keenan III, Bill Norton, Larrell Murchison, Payton Zdroik
The skinny:The Rams have done a solid job of building an effective defensive line over the last few years, leaving them with no big needs in this area. They added Keenan as a late-draft reinforcement, and he’ll get a chance to earn a spot in the rotation, but the Rams were essentially set here thanks to the work they have done over the years.
Bottom line:The Ramswere excellent against the run last year, and it starts up front. In terms of long range, Fiske and Ford are under contract through the 2027 season, but Turner is on an expiring contract, so a decision needs to be made on his long-term future.
Starters:Byron Young, Jared Verse, Nate Landman, Omar Speights
Reserves:Josaiah Stewart, Grant Stuard, Shaun Dolac, Elias Neal, Desjuan Johnson, Keir Thomas II, Eddie Walls III, Nikhai Hill-Green, Wesley Bailey, Darryl Peterson III
Source: California Post – Breaking California News, Photos & Videos
