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Checking in on the Rams' 2024 draft class at the bye week
Back in late April, the Rams used 10 picks to assemble their draft class this year. A couple have contributed immediately, while others have ascended into expanded roles due to injuries within their positions or primarily contributed on special teams.Here's how each of those selections have fared through the first five weeks of the season.
OLB Jared Verse (Round 1, No. 19 overall)
Verse has started in each of Los Angeles' first five games this season, producing 22 total tackles (5 for loss), four QB hits and one sack while playing at least 66% of L.A.'s defensive snaps in those games.
Entering Week 6, his quarterback pressure rate of 18% is fourth-highest in the league, per the NFL's Next Gen Stats, trailing only Cincinnati's Trey Hendrickson (18.4), Houston's Danielle Hunter (19.5), Cleveland's Myles Garrett (20.5) and the New York Jets' Will McDonald IV (21.0).
His performance through the first four weeks of the season garnered league-wide honors as the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month for September.
DE Braden Fiske (Round 2, No. 39 overall)
Fiske has started in each of the Rams' first five games, collecting 17 total tackles (two for loss), one forced fumble and one sack. He has played at least 51% of their defensive snaps in those games.
Entering Week 6, his quarterback pressure rate of 14.2% is 18th-highest in the league.
RB Blake Corum (Round 3, No. 83 overall)
Up until Week 5, Corum had been sparingly used in the running back rotation – his most extensive action came toward the end of the Rams' 41-10 road loss to the Cardinals in Week 2 when he had 8 carries for 28 yards in an effort to avoid quarterback Matthew Stafford taking more hits (per head coach Sean McVay).
Against the Packers, he had five carries for 25 yards, bringing his season totals to 13 carries for 53 yards. He also has four kickoff returns for 115 yards, good for 28.75 yards per return.
So far, the majority of his playing time has come on special teams – he has 56 snaps in that phase compared to 19 on offense.
S Kam Kinchens (Round 3, No. 99 overall)
John Johnson III's shoulder injury initially afforded Kinchens a bigger role, playing 41% of the Rams' defensive snaps in Week 3 against the 49ers then 63% against the Bears. However, after the Rams made some personnel adjustments to the secondary for last Sunday's game against the Packers, he didn't play one defensive snap in Week 5.
Kinchens has played in four games so far, collecting 13 total tackles in a reserve role.
OLB Brennan Jackson (Round 5, No. 154 overall)
Jackson has been inactive for the Rams' first five games. He appeared in the preseason finale against the Texans after dealing with a soft tissue injury sustained in the later stages of training camp.
DT Tyler Davis (Round 6, No. 196 overall)
Davis has appeared in four of the Rams' first five games (inactive for Week 2 against the Cardinals), recording 5 total tackles. His playing time has varied: he's played as much as 30% (Week 3) and as few as 12% (Week 5) of Los Angeles' defensive snaps so far, but his playing time has come exclusively with that unit.
K Joshua Karty (Round 6, No. 209 overall)
Making 9 of 10 field goal attempts (long of 52) and 7 of 8 extra point attempts, Karty has been steady for L.A.'s special teams.
WR Jordan Whittington (Round 6, No. 213 overall)
Initially contributing on special teams, early-season injuries to Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua have afforded Whittington more snaps in the wide receiver rotation in recent weeks.
He played 92% of the Rams' offensive snaps last week against the Packers and 97% against the Bears in Week 4, and that translated to 7 catches for 89 yards and 6 catches for 62 yards in each of those games, respectively.
Whittington has started in each of Los Angeles' last two games and played in their first five overall, recording 18 catches for 201 yards.
OL Beaux Limmer (Round 6, No. 217 overall)
Similar to Whittington, injuries within his position group thrust Limmer into a larger role than what was likely anticipated for his rookie season, serving as the Rams' starting center since Jonah Jackson re-aggravated his training camp shoulder injury in Week 2.
According to The 33rd Team, Limmer has allowed the 8th-lowest pressure rate among all rookies (excluding MNF) at 5.5%, with just nine allowed across 165 pass snaps. In Week 5, he allowed just one on 48 pass snaps.
OL KT Leveston (Round 7, No. 254 overall)
A preseason ankle injury landed Leveston on Injured Reserve prior to the 53-man roster cutdown; he remains on IR and has yet to appear a game this season.
