My concern with DWill is can he do it again? and also he played slightly LESS snaps (824) than Troy Hill last year (1000). Was this because he gets dinged up? DWill is also 1.5 years older than Ramsey who is 26, not much of a concern there but worth noting.
So I voted OTHER. Let's see what kind of year DWill has, and if he can replicate his outstanding year. I also think we should draft a quality CB and bring in some who fit DWill's mold.
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The LA Rams might have had the best secondary in the NFL in 2020 and they could still have the top cornerback duo of 2021 in Jalen Ramsey and Darious Williams. But Troy Hill took 1,000 snaps with him when he signed with the Cleveland Browns and there doesn’t appear to be anyone stepping in who will have had much notable NFL experience prior this year, essentially making it a prospective bet as volatile as DOGE.
What is the short and long-term outlook for the position that must cover DeAndre Hopkins, DK Metcalf, and Deebo Samuel, among others?
Short Term Outlook
The number one receiver for the opposing team is already covered in the short and long-term given that the Rams extended Jalen Ramsey prior to last season. A two-time first team all-pro who has made the last four Pro Bowl rosters, Ramsey has the best argument for being the NFL’s top corner and his presence will be vital for the league’s continuously expanding list of difficult-to-cover receivers.
But Ramsey could also prove to handle tight ends and elite slot receivers as evidenced by his and Brandon Staley’s willingness for him to play the “star” role on the defense in 2020. That will prove important not only for guarding players like Samuel, but also George Kittle and perhaps even a former teammate in Gerald Everett, now a member of the Seahawks.
Opposite of him is Darious Williams, who is actually a year and a half older than Ramsey, and he’s relished the opportunity to be in that role. Williams has posted six interceptions despite only getting 13 starts in the last two seasons and quarterbacks allegedly (don’t believe all these stats) went 39-of-72 (54.2%) for 480 yards with two touchdowns and four picks when targeting him. Williams then posted yet another interception in the playoffs.
However, Williams was on the field slightly less than Hill in 2020 (824 snaps, meaning that Hill essentially played about three more games worth of snaps last season) and that could mean that the number three corner role on LA’s defense needs to do even more than expected right now unless Williams is up to the task of improving even more upon his game at age 28.
Right now, the prime candidates to take that on are 2019 third round pick David Long, Jr. and 2020 third round pick Terrell Burgess, mostly a safety in college at Utah. There is also training camp favorite Donte Deayon, but is exceptionally rare for a player to breakout after five years of attempting to break into the league.
This is why cornerback could be a higher priority in the draft than anticipated, perhaps even with the Rams’ first pick on day two. A player like Oregon’s Thomas Graham, who LA has shown interest in, could end up in the secondary with Ramsey and Williams next season and even get considerable playing time.
But the part to focus on above all else is that Jalen Ramsey is on the Rams, Darious Williams is really good, and teams don’t usually fall apart or come together based on depth behind their top two corners. Not to say that it doesn’t happen though or that LA wouldn’t be in trouble if they did lose Ramsey for an extended period of time because of course they would.
RFS69
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/22/2021 09:18AM by RamsFanSince69.
