Who are the players that the Rams are building their future around?
Having the best young players in the NFL doesn’t have the same effect as in sports like baseball or even hockey. However, having a bright, young core can still signify a positive future for a team. In the early part of Les Snead’s tenure with the Los Angeles Rams, they were a team filled with young talent. That has changed in recent years as they traded away draft picks and other assets to win a Super Bowl.
Pro Football Focus recently ranked the top-25 players under the age of 25. While only Puka Nacua made that list for the Rams, it did raise the question of who the Rams best young players are on the roster. The category for this is going to be a little different than PFF’s strict ‘under-25’. To make this list, we’ll select players who are under 25 or within their first three years in the NFL.
1. WR Puka Nacua
It should be no surprise that Puka Nacua is the Rams’ top prospect under-25 on the roster. He just had one of the best seasons ever for a rookie wide receiver and was an absolute phenom as a fifth-round pick. Here’s what PFF had to say on Nacua,
“A fifth-round pick, Nacua exceeded all expectations as a rookie in Los Angeles. He played as a top-10 wide receiver in the NFL by almost any measure, and his 90.2 PFF overall grade ranked eighth at the position in 2023…Nacua averaged 5.9 yards after the catch in 2023, the fourth-best mark among wide receivers with 100-plus targets.”
In a post-Cooper Kupp world, Nacua will very likely be the next in line as the top wide receiver in the offense. He may even take that over this year as Kupp hits 30 and Nacua goes into his second season.
2. EDGE Jared Verse
Number two may seem a little high for Verse. With that said, he was the 19th overall pick and selected in the first round. He’s the only first-round pick that the Rams have selected on the roster. Verse is an older rookie at 23 years old and will be 24 in November. However, there’s no denying his talent.
With the retirement of Aaron Donald, the Rams will be looking for a new face of the defense. The draft fell perfectly with Verse dropped to 19 and the Rams are able to select him. Los Angeles won’t put the pressure of being the face of the defense on Verse, but given the talent and upside, that’s the caliber of player that he is. This is a player that the Rams will be depending on to be a future cornerstone of the defense.
3. LB Ernest Jones
It seems surprising, but Jones is only 24 as he heads into his fourth season in the NFL. Over the last two years, the Rams have drafted older players coming out, but Jones was only 20 when he was selected in 2021. Following this season, the Rams will have a difficult decision to make in regards to Jones in terms of whether or not they should extend him. It can be argued that he was a top-10 linebacker in 2023.
As The Draft Network’s Damian Parson said
“Jones has the talent, numbers, and film deserving of more media recognition…we know linebackers are devalued until you don’t have an impactful one, which hurts your defense entirely. Jones is a good definition of an impact linebacker…He is a terror at the line of scrimmage in simulated pressure packages…Jones can do multiple things for the Rams’ defense and is an impact player on the second level.”
Again, without Donald, the Rams will be looking to someone on defense who can be the face and leader of the group. Jones was a captain last year and took a big leap forward. He’ll be looking to expand on that as he heads into year three.
4. iOL Steve Avila
There is a serious argument that Avila should be higher up this list. It may be fair to say that Avila is the most valuable young player on the Rams roster. He may not be the best when looking at the name above him, but he may be the most valuable. If you removed Nacua from the equation, another receiver may step up. The same probably couldn’t be said about Avila.
Avila was a big reason for the Rams’ improvement on the offensive line last year and allowed them to change their run scheme to more gap principles. It’s also worth noting that Avila will be moving to center this year, displaying his positional versatility which is valuable in itself. Avila is a player that will be a large part of the Rams’ plans going forward.
5. DT Kobie Turner
Turner will have a lot to prove as he goes into year two. Multiple things can be true when discussing Turner’s rookie season. It’s true that Turner had a great season and became an impactful player along the defensive line. However, it’s also true that having Aaron Donald on the defensive line also helped him. That’s not to take away from anything that Turner did, but it’s also part of the equation.
It would be surprising to see a sophomore slump with Turner, but it may also take some time for him to adjust to a post-Donald world where he sees more attention. Turner is a player that is worthy of the excitement that he brings. The hunger and drive to get better is most certainly there which bodes well for his future and development.
6. EDGE Byron Young
When it comes to Young, it’s fair to wonder if he hit his ceiling last year or at least questioning how high that ceiling is. The rookie out of Tennessee had a great first half of the season, but he hit a wall and slowed down as the season went along.
Having a player like Verse who is natural at the position should help him and the two should be able to play off of each other. With that said, he’s also 26 it may be a situation where he can and most likely will improve, but that ceiling isn’t as high as other players on this list. That’s not a bad thing, but something to keep in mind heading into year two.
7. RB Kyren WIlliams
With Williams, he should probably be higher on this list and had the Rams not drafted Corum, he might be higher. Williams broke out last season with over 1,283 yards and 12 touchdowns. There were stretches where he may have been the best running back in the NFL.
However, the Rams did draft Corum, meaning that Williams may not get re-signed when his contract is up after next year. Additionally, he also has an injury history that is beginning to get slightly concerning. The Rams offense was different when Williams was on the field last year. There’s no denying his impact on the roster. With that said, it’s fair to question what is long-term future on the team will be, specifically when his contract expires.
Honorable Mentions
Blake Corum and Braden Fiske are two rookies that will have a lot of expectations to perform and perform well. That’s especially the case of Fiske who the Rams traded a lot to get in the draft. Davis Allen could he thrown in this conversation as well. Allen could be in line to be the top tight end on the team with Tyler Higbee on the final year of his contract.