3 potential breakout candidates at Rams training camp
Andrew Ortenberg
[
theramswire.usatoday.com]
The dead period of summer is finally winding down. Soon, the Los Angeles Rams will assemble for training camp. While the Rams have managed to provide plenty of headlines for fans during this normally dull month like the Brandin Cooks extension, the lack of one for Aaron Donald etc., the real action will start in camp.
There will be many storylines to keep an eye on, and recently we’ve been taking you on a position by position preview of camp. Every year multiple new faces emerge and make a name for themselves during camp, and today we’ll be looking at a few under-the-radar breakout candidates:
1. OLB Justin Lawler
Outside linebacker/edge rusher may be the biggest question mark on the Rams’ depth chart on either side of the ball. It’s a wide open group, with no proven or entrenched players. Most of the offseason discussion of the position has centered around second-year fourth round pick Samson Ebukam and fourth-year pro Matt Longacre, but Lawler should be taken just as seriously.
A seventh-round pick from SMU in this year’s draft, Lawler was very productive in college, notching 9.5 sacks as a senior. He slipped in the draft due to concerns about his athleticism, but has impressed the team so far this offseason. Lawler reportedly earned some first-team reps during OTA’s and could see extensive playing time as a rookie if he shows well this summer. It’ll be an all out battle with Ebukam, Longacre, fellow rookie Ogbonnia Okoronkwo and others, but Lawler should receive plenty of opportunities in camp to break out and he’ll definitely be a name to watch for Rams fans.
2. ILB Tegray Scales
As an undrafted free agent, Scales has also mostly flown under the radar. Although the Rams are thin at inside linebacker, rookie fifth-rounder Micah Kiser has been the most talked about in terms of playing time in 2018. But Scales could easily sneak up and take a lot of people by surprise. He was one of the biggest name undrafted free agent players in the league, with most analysts projecting him to be drafted in the fifth or sixth round.
He earned a first-team All-Big Ten selection as a senior, and only went undrafted due to some concerns about his size. Scales is a solid athlete who’s a good coverage linebacker, and he could potentially shoot past Kiser, Bryce Hager, and Ramik Wilson on the inside linebacker depth chart. It’s a unit that is mostly unproven behind Mark Barron, and Scales will be an interesting breakout candidate in camp.
3. TE Temarrick Hemingway
It’s indisputable that the Rams need improved tight end play in 2018. It was the one weak link on offense in 2017, and a true number one tight end could take Sean McVay’s offense to new heights. Sophomore second-round pick Gerald Everett is the one most have assumed would step into that role, but it’s far from a given. While Everett flashed as a rookie, tight end is an incredibly hard transition from the college game to the pro one, and he may need more time to develop.
Hemingway, who will be entering his third season with the Rams, has played in just eight games in his career due to injuries. He’s finally recovered from the broken fibula that sidelined him all of 2017, and is looking to make an impact. McVay has raved about Hemingway’s potential as both a pass-catcher and blocker, and his physical gifts are off the charts. With a strong camp, Hemingway could easily leap Tyler Higbee, and the prospect of Hemingway having a large role in 2018 can’t be ruled out. How he looks with pads on this summer will be crucial. but if he has truly put his injury woes behind him, he could be an exciting breakout candidate.
