The Rams lost some of the brains of their league-leading defensive operation when coordinator Brandon Staley and safety John Johnson left in the offseason.
But a unit led by the NFL’s best defensive lineman, Aaron Donald, and best cornerback, Jalen Ramsey, won’t fall far, and it could stay No. 1 if young players come through again.
New defensive coordinator Raheem Morris’ resume and personable approach have ensured there’s no drop-off in buy-in from players on this side of the line.
Here’s what to expect from the Rams’ defense heading into the 2021 regular season, which opens Sunday night at SoFi Stadium against the Chicago Bears:
Defensive line: Aaron Donald, A’Shawn Robinson, Sebastian Joseph-Day, Greg Gaines, Bobby Brown III, Michael Hoecht, Jonah Williams
Coming off his third NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award in four years, Donald will be the same but something will be different without Michael Brockers beside him on the line.
Robinson, who replaces Brockers, has looked fitter and quicker this summer than he did late last season. But a knee procedure (as the Rams described it) two weeks ago left his readiness in doubt for opening night.
Joseph-Day, an over-achieving sixth-round draft pick, is playing for a new contract as the nose tackle goes into his fourth year. Brown, a fourth-round rookie, is looking over Joseph-Day’s shoulder.
Outside linebackers: Leonard Floyd, Justin Hollins, Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, Terrell Lewis, Chris Garrett
Floyd will be counted on to match the career-best edge-rushing performance (55 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 10-1/2 sacks) that earned him a four-year, $64 million contract this offseason.
Morris gets excited talking about the players on the other end of the line, all of whom have overcome something to earn roles.
Hollins, picked up on waivers in 2020, beat out Okoronkwo for the other outside-linebacker spot, which was vacated when Samson Ebukam left as a free agent. Okoronkwo is starting the season on injured reserve and will be eligible to return from a stinger after the third game.
Lewis continues to have knee trouble going into his second NFL season. It’s news when he practices two or more days in a row. But the upside of the third-round pick from Alabama is too good to give up on.
Garrett, a seventh-round pick from Division II Concordia University in Minnesota, earned his roster spot with an eye-catching performance in the preseason.
Justin Lawler, sidelined since 2018 by foot injuries, had a big preseason to earn a place on the Rams practice squad and could get called up if needed.
Inside linebackers: Troy Reeder, Kenny Young, Travin Howard, Ernest Jones
Howard’s return from injury and third-round draft pick Jones’ heady performance in his first training camp add depth to a position group that was more a duo than a group for much of last season.
Jones’ day will come. Reeder, Young and Howard all are up for free agency next winter.
Cornerbacks: Jalen Ramsey, Darious Williams, David Long, Robert Rochell
Calling Ramsey the league’s top shutdown corner actually underrates his contribution to the Rams, who will continue to take advantage of the two-time All-Pro’s talent by playing him all over the field in the so-called “star position.”
High expectations follow Williams for the first time after he held quarterbacks to a 61.1 rating on passes thrown his way, intercepting four of them, in his first full-time Rams season.
Now the defense could use Long to emulate Williams. Long steps into the slot cornerback role after Troy Hill’s free-agent departure.
Rochell, a fourth-round pick, was held back by wrist surgery in training camp but returned to play in the second and third preseason games.
Safeties: Jordan Fuller, Taylor Rapp, Terrell Burgess, Nick Scott, J.R. Reed, JuJu Hughes
When Johnson joined Hill in signing with the Browns last winter, the Rams lost their defensive signal-caller. But Fuller quickly earned the job, the 2020 sixth-round draft pick impressing with his quick mind and unflappable personality. It’s his job to take Morris’ radioed instructions and position his teammates.
Rapp is back after the knee injury that cost him the second half of last season, while Burgess was still getting comfortable again in training camp after the ankle injury that ended his rookie season in October.