Rams training camp preview: Who starts at Safety next to Fuller?

Rams training camp preview: Who starts at safety next to Jordan Fuller?

[theramswire.usatoday.com]

Cameron DaSilva


The Rams had to go deep into the depth chart at safety last year, and even beyond their 53-man roster just to fill out the secondary in the postseason. They went as far as signing Eric Weddle, who hadn’t played in the NFL since 2019.

Injuries decimated the Rams’ safety group but now with players in better health, a stiff camp competition is looming at this position. Jordan Fuller will be one starter, but who will line up next to him? Taylor Rapp? Terrell Burgess? Nick Scott?

It’ll be a fun battle to watch when camp opens this weekend.

Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
Offensive line
Defensive line
Outside linebackers
Inside linebackers
Cornerbacks
Roster locks


Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Jordan Fuller
Nick Scott
Fuller is definitely going to make it, being a team captain and a starter for the last two years. However, I also think Scott is a lock, and not just because of his safety play. He’s been a core special teams player for the last three years, and the Rams put plenty of value in that.

That’s the primary difference between Scott and Taylor Rapp when it comes to being a roster lock. If Scott wasn’t such an important special teamer, I don’t know that he’d be all but assured a roster spot.

Likely to make it


Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Terrell Burgess
Taylor Rapp
Quentin Lake
Burgess and Rapp both land in the “likely to make it” category for a couple of reasons. With Burgess, he simply hasn’t shown enough in two years to lock up a roster spot. He’s versatile and can cover the slot, too, but even when the Rams were desperately thin at safety late last year, he didn’t get much playing time.

With Rapp, he’s actually making a decent chunk of money this year. He has a cap hit of $2.9 million, which is the 12th-highest hit on the team. If the Rams don’t believe he’s worth that much, they can cut him and save $2.5 million. That’ll be a real possibility if he gets beat out by Burgess and Scott.

As for Lake, he should make the team but he won’t be handed a roster spot as a sixth-round rookie. I don’t think the Rams will only keep four safeties, but there is a chance of that happening – and that might leave Lake without a spot.

On the bubble


Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Russ Yeast
Jairon McVea
Dan Isom
A trio of rookies makes up this group, with Yeast being the only drafted player. It would’ve been hard to put Yeast in the above category, indicating that six safeties were either locks or likely to make the team. I just don’t think that’s true. He could still carve out a role, particularly on special teams, but it’ll take work.

McVea and Isom were signed as undrafted rookies this year and offer intriguing skill sets. McVea impressed some folks early on in minicamp and OTAs, so he’s someone to watch.

Battle to watch: Scott vs. Burgess vs. Rapp


(AP Photo/John Munson)
This is going to be a fascinating camp battle to watch. Scott, Burgess and Rapp all bring different skill sets to the table, so the Rams have a solid trio to pick from.

Scott is the best pure coverage player of them all, and he showed that in the playoffs. He can also lay the wood, decking A.J. Green and Deebo Samuel to cause incompletions last postseason.

Burgess is the most versatile, being able to play deep, in the box or in the slot. However, when given opportunities, he hasn’t done much with them, struggling to wrap up as a tackler and cover in the secondary.

Rapp is purely a box safety – or at least he should be. He’s not great in coverage, but when he’s defending the run and able to use his physicality, he can be a similar player to Mark Barron as a hybrid safety/linebacker.

Potential sleeper: Jairon McVea


Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
McVea is undersized at only 5-foot-9, but he plays hard and has good speed, which allows him to range from sideline to sideline as a deep-middle defender. The Rams don’t have the best range at safety, but McVea is a player who could change that, similar to the way Lamarcus Joyner did once he found a home at free safety.

Projected depth chart


(Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
Starters: Fuller, Scott
Backups: Rapp, Burgess, Lake
Keeping five safeties would make a lot of sense for the Rams. They have four quality, starting-caliber players with Fuller, Scott, Rapp and Burgess, as well as a smart rookie who can push for playing time.

It’ll be tough to leave off guys like Yeast, McVea and Isom, but hopefully the Rams can stash them on the practice squad and have them around in case an injury occurs.