History tells us the Rams 2025 rookies will make the opening 53 and see playing time

Sean McVay is not afraid to put his youngsters on the field

If the Los Angeles Rams training camp and opening roster run true to form, all six of the 2025 L.A. draftees are a good bet to make the opening roster. Since pairing up in 2017, General Manager Les Snead and Head coach Sean McVay have placed a little over 88% of drafted rookies on the initial 53. There were six others who began their careers on the Injured Reserve List (IR) and would go on to a spot on the roster when healed.

Not only do these prospects make the roster, McVay gets them on the field. This may be contrary to popular belief, but is true just the same. Rookies are not necessarily given a lot of starting roles, but in almost all cases, they get looks. Whether that be in rotation, packages or on special teams (ST), catch an eye and you get better, longer looks.

Researching back to the 2021 NFL Draft, I collected snap counts and attributed them to prospects drafted. The final numbers are in the conclusion and while draft status certainly plays a big role, the later selections also get the extra snap of special teams.

Here’s a look at the individual draftees.

2024 rookies

#19 – E Jared Verse

Played a tad under 80% of defensive snaps. Verse’ performance was just what you would expect from a Round 1 pick, a solid rookie season punctuated by flashes of brilliance, and plenty of ceiling to reach.

#39 – DT Braden Fiske

Played in all 19 contests with eight starts. His 661 defensive reps were 2nd on the Rams interior and Fiske led the team in sacks and forced fumbles. Chipped in 79 special team’s snaps.

#83 – Blake Corum

Brought along slowly, Corum did get a taste in every regular season game and started the season finale versus Seattle. He played in a modest 119 offensive snaps, but added 186 on ST, with 70+ coming as a kickoff returner.

#99 – Kamren Kinchens

Kinchens didn’t play much in Weeks 1 and 2. Injury put him in for Weeks 3 and 4, but he struggled and fell back. Took advantage of another shot in Week 9, and by playing well, won a place in the rotation. Played 514 reps on defense and 117 on ST.

#154 – E Brennan Jackson

Battled on/off with soft tissue woes as a rookie, limited to 47 defensive plays and 56 more on ST.

#196 – DT Tyler Davis

Played in 17 games, earning a start in playoff game versus the Philadelphia Eagles. Had 299 defensive snaps, the majority in the second half of the season.

#209 – K Josh Karty

After a few missed PAT’s early gave fans the willy’s, Karty settled down and delivered a solid season, converting 85.3% of 34 field goal attempts. Doesn’t do kickoffs, but showed he has the leg with five touchbacks out of six kicks, in the one game he handled those duties.

#213 – WR Jordan Whittington

Whittington fought through a shoulder problem and still netted 278 offensive snaps, while adding another 172 on ST. A little over 70 of those were as the primary kick returner.

#217 – C Beaux Limmer

Only Kevin Dotson topped the snap count for the Round 6 rookie from Arkansas (917). He added 65 on ST, without snapping the football.

#254 – T KT Leveston

Suffered an ankle injury in preseason, went on the Injured Reserve List (IR) until November and never recorded a snap.

2023 rookies

#36 – G Steve Avila

Started in every game and played every snap (1148) as rookie. In Year 2, he missed seven regular season games, but started the other 12 when healthy.

#77 – E Byron Young

Has started 35 of 37 pro games, participating in over 80% (1809) of defensive reps.

#89 – DT Kobie Turner

While he only registered four starts as a rookie, Turner was a primary in the rotation with 697 reps (61.46%). As a sophomore, he was up to 17 of 19 starts and 834 (74.80%) snaps. He’s added 169 on ST.

#128 – QB Stetson Bennett

Harumph, harumph! No regular season play.

#161 – E Nick Hampton

Hampton has not been able to break through on defense with only 76 snaps, but has accrued 316 on ST.

#174 – T Warren McClendon

Limited to mop-up duty in Year 1, but in 2024, injuries put McClendon into 13 games with five starts for 331 offensive reps and 52 on ST.

#177 – TE Davis Allen

After a promising rookie year with 192 offensive snaps and another 104 on ST, Allen earned more play time (309 on offense, 116 on ST), but digressed on the stat sheet.

#182 – WR Puka Nacua

Good news: Nacua is a top NFL receiver, one of the most physical, and should be on the field 90%. Bad news: Nacua is one of the NFL’s most physical receivers and missed five games in 2025, along a injury history in college.

#180 – CB Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson

No longer with team. Played 45 defensive and 318 ST reps.

#189 – DE Ochaun Mathis

No longer with team. Played 74 defensive and 19 ST reps.

#215 – RB Zack Evans

No longer with team. Played 16 offensive and 51 ST snaps.

#223 – P Ethan Evans

In each of his two seasons, Evans has handled both punting and kickoff duties with aplomb.

#234 – S Jason Taylor

No longer with team. Played 39 defensive and 111 ST reps.

#259 – DT Desjuan Johnson

Johnson is on the back end of defensive line rotation with 102 snaps as a rookie and 120 last year. No ST action to speak of.

2022 rookies

#104 G Logan Bruss

No longer with team. IR and practice squad in first two years, injuries gave him his shot in 2024, but he was released midway through the season.

#142 CB Cobie Durant

Durant has upped his defensive snap count for three straight seasons (281, 643, 7770, as well as starts (1, 9, 14). Adds about 70 ST reps per season.

#164 RB Kyren Williams

RB#1 has also raised his snap count every season (141, 678, 888). Coming off two consecutive 1000+ yard seasons. Has helped out on kick returns.

#211 S Quentin Lake

Injury limited his rookie year reps to 63 defensive and 139 ST, then a jump to 453/140 in Year 2, and finally 1070 (96%) in 2024.

#212 CB Derion Kendrick

Update: No longer on team. Although he missed all of 2024, Kendrick logged eight starts, 1341 defensive snaps, and 110 on ST in his first two years.

#235 E Daniel Hardy

No longer with team. Had some mop-up (41) and special teams (128) work as rookie.

#253 S Russ Yeast

No longer with team. Went from 113 snaps as a rookie to 802 in Year 2. A missed tackle rate of 20%+ did him in.

#261 T AJ Arcuri

Still bouncing between the roster and practice squad. 70 offensive and 33 ST reps in his rookie year was the apex.

2021 rookies

#57 WR Tutu Atwell

His draft status and not reaching those expectations make him a perfect whipping post. He has developed slowly, but after an injury-filled rookie year, he’s upped his game. 23 starts and 1430 WR reps earned him a $10mil contract for 2025.

#103 ILB Ernest Jones

A package player in his first two years with 50+% of snaps, before blossoming into an every play (95%) linebacker. Rams decided to trade him over giving him a second contract.

#117 DT Bobby Brown

No longer with team. Started slowly, but his defensive snap count went up every year (22, 164, 313, 472). L.A. did not sign him to a second contract.

#130 CB Robert Rochell

No longer with team. Received plenty of defensive snaps (234) as a rookie and ST work in Year 2 (325), but was gone after two seasons.

#141 TE Jacob Harris

Big, fast TE/WR hybrid had some injury problems and with only 16 offensive snaps, never caught on. He did have 246 ST reps in 16 games.

#174 E Earnest Brown

No longer with team. After spending his rookie year on the PS, Brown had three starts and 136 defensive reps in that crazy 2022 season, but fell back in 2023 and was gone.

#233 RB Jake Funk

No longer with team. Played in 15 games with 21 snaps at running back and 204 on ST.

#249 WR Ben Skowronek

No longer with team, played three seasons before being shipped out. Got his feet wet as a rookie with 178 snaps, earned 11 starts and 696 in Year 2, but fell back down to 216 in final go-round. Good ST player with 718 career reps.

#252 E Chris Garrett

No longer with team. Only 10 Rams snaps total.

If you make the roster, you’re going to get looks

It’s fair to say that Rams rookies under Sean McVay are going to make the roster and to see action. It might be as part of a rotation or package, but if they impress, they’re going to get snaps. Although the looks may be longer due to injuries or positional depth, all draftees see the field.

Since 2021, Rams players drafted in Rounds 1, 2, and 3 have played an average of 539 positional reps and another 38 on special teams. Draftees in Rounds 4, 5, 6, and 7 get an average 167 positional reps to go with 100 on special teams. That would be, roughly, 50% of total plays for the early draftees and 12-14% for the mid/late rounds.

Which of the Rams 2025 draftees will see the field most?