4 Rams players who need to stand out in OTAs

[theramswire.usatoday.com] 4 Rams players who need to stand out in OTAs


Cameron DaSilva
May 26, 2022 12:31 pm PT

Organized team activities, or OTAs, are underway in Thousand Oaks as the Rams progress through their offseason program. While position battles won’t heat up until training camp when the pads come on, there’s still plenty that coaches can take away from practices this time of year.

These four players need to stand out during OTAs to give themselves a leg up on the competition before mandatory minicamp and eventually training camp in July.

David Long Jr.
The cornerback position will be very competitive this summer. Jalen Ramsey and Troy Hill will be two of the starters, but the third spot is up for grabs. Long will need to hold off Robert Rochell, Decobie Durant and Derion Kendrick if he wants to be the third starter, which won’t be an easy task. It all starts at OTAs where he can begin to impress his coaches and pull ahead of the younger cornerbacks behind him.

Long had his moments last season, both good and bad, but he ended the year on a high note. If he can carry that play over into this season, he should be the Rams’ preferred choice alongside Ramsey and Hill.


Bobby Brown III
Brown did very little as a rookie in 2021, only playing 22 defensive snaps in 10 games. He was expected to help replace Michael Brockers, who was traded to the Lions, but that didn’t work out the way the Rams planned. At 6-foot-4 and 235 pounds, Brown is a nice fit at 3-technique and defensive end, which are two spots the Rams could use depth at.

Sean McVay told Rams Wire last week that the Rams will see if he “could be a player that can help us on defense,” not knowing exactly what they’re going to get from the second-year player out of Texas A&M. He needs a good summer to carve out a role for himself after a quiet rookie year.


Terrell Lewis
Lewis and Justin Hollins will be counted on at outside linebacker after the Rams lost Von Miller in free agency, needing someone to step up opposite Leonard Floyd. Lewis is a more promising pass rusher with good size and upside, but he hasn’t been able to stay healthy; he’s only played 19 games in two seasons.

Lewis is participating in OTAs and could get off to a good start this offseason. It’s likely that he and Hollins will split time at the outside linebacker spot opposite Floyd, but in designated pass-rushing situations, it should be Lewis who gets the call from his coaches.


Taylor Rapp
Rapp isn’t a lock to start like he was last year. He now has even more competition at safety thanks to the emergence of Nick Scott in the playoffs and the selections of Quentin Lake and Russ Yeast. Terrell Burgess could also get a bigger opportunity this year, giving the Rams even more depth at the position.

Rapp is best when lined up in the box and near the line of scrimmage, which still has value in today’s NFL but primarily on first and second down when teams are still a threat to run the ball. Rapp has to improve his coverage skills in order to fend off Scott for a starting job.