6 Rams rookies to keep an eye on in preseason game vs. Chargers

[theramswire.usatoday.com] 6 Rams rookies to keep an eye on in preseason game vs. Chargers


Cameron DaSilva
August 13, 2022 4:00 am PT


The Rams will be resting many of their starters tonight against the Chargers, but there won’t be any rookies among them. That means an abundance of first-year players – both draftees and undrafted rookies – will be on the field at SoFi Stadium.

We’ll be keeping an eye on these six rookies in the preseason opener as they try to make a name for themselves in the exhibition opener.

1
CB Decobie Durant
Though I’ll also be watching Derion Kendrick, I’m more interested in how Durant plays. He seems to be the bigger playmaker of the two, showing off his ball skills and range during training camp where he had several interceptions.

Durant is on the smaller side as a cornerback, but he should still get chances to line up on the boundary. He’s in a battle with Kendrick and Robert Rochell as the fourth corner and Durant’s ascent to that role could begin tonight.


2
RB Kyren Williams
Williams is still recovering from a broken foot suffered in OTAs and just recently was activated from the PUP list, so he may not get a ton of reps out of the gate. But I want to see his athleticism in an NFL game because in college, he wasn’t exactly the fastest or most explosive runner.

We could also see Williams get some opportunities to return kickoffs, which is an area the Rams need help while Brandon Powell is nursing a leg injury.

3
OT A.J. Arcuri
Arcuri is somewhat of a forgotten draft pick because everyone’s been watching Logan Bruss as he attempts to win the starting right guard spot. But Arcuri is fighting for a roster spot and if he can beat out Bobby Evans, he might just be the backup right tackle.

Arcuri has the size at 6-foot-7 and 320 pounds, he just needs to refine his game as a blocker and get used to NFL edge rushers.


4
WR Lance McCutcheon
We won’t see Jacob Harris in this one after he strained his groin, but we’ll still get to watch a big receiver who has good speed in this game. McCutcheon is an undrafted rookie out of Montana State and he has a lot of work to do in order to make the 53-man roster with so many good receivers ahead of him.

McCutcheon should be a fun guy to watch against the Chargers and hopefully he’ll get some opportunities to show off his length on the outside against smaller cornerbacks. I would expect him to be a popular target for John Wolford and Bryce Perkins.

5
S Russ Yeast
Yeast is a very active player on the back end, whether it’s making plays on the ball in the air or laying big hits on ball carriers. With the top three starters sitting this one out Yeast will get to play alongside a collection of younger, unproven safeties – including Dan Isom, T.J. Carter and Jairon McVea.

Yeast should be able to stand out above the rest and he’s coming in with some momentum after recording a pick-six in the final open practice of camp.

6
OL Logan Bruss
Bruss is the Rams’ top draft pick from this year, so naturally, fans will want to see what he’s capable of. He may not begin the year as the starting right guard, but that doesn’t mean he won’t play at all this season.

Whether it’s due to injury or another player’s struggles, Bruss could slide into the starting lineup at some point, and it’ll be important for him to be prepared. This debut should give us an idea of his potential.