Bryce Hager is proving his worth as starting linebackerBy: Steve Rebeiro
With 2:41 left in the second quarter of the Rams’ Sunday afternoon matchup with the Saints, Alvin Kamara took a plunge forward on a critical fourth and one. He was stopped by a brick wall of Rams defenders.
Among them was Bryce Hager, a special teams veteran who was thrust into a starting linebacker role due to cuts and injuries.
Hager’s tenure with the Rams dates all the way back to when the team was in St. Louis. The 224th overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, Hager has earned a roster spot with the Rams each of the past five seasons. The first four years were primarily due to his role on special teams. He’s only appeared sparingly on defense over the years.
In his fifth season with the team, Hager is being asked to be one of the team’s primary run stoppers, and he’s doing a solid job.
“Bryce has done a really nice job in our base defense and in some of our heavier-situational packages,” Sean McVay said when asked to evaluate Hager’s performance so far this season. “He’s played really consistent. He’s done exactly what we’ve asked of him. That’s kind of what Bryce has done any time he’s gotten his opportunities.”
Hager is a limited player as an inside linebacker, but the Rams have been playing to his strengths. They’ve split up his snaps with rookie safety Taylor Rapp. Hager handles the run-focused downs, and Rapp handles the pass-focused downs. It’s worked out pretty well for both guys so far.
The numbers back up McVay’s sentiment on Hager. Pro Football Focus has given Hager a grade of 78.5 over the first two weeks of the season. It’s the 10th highest score for eligible linebackers, and he ranks right ahead of players such as Bobby Wagner and Dont’a Hightower.
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