Opinions on which Rookies will win starting roles this season?

[RamDino]

I agree that none of the rookies will be starting, but some of them will be in the rotations. Atwell and Bobby Brown for sure and maybe Funk. Trust me... McVay WILL find a way to use Funk in some capacity. Harris is a huge question mark (that goes along with Hopkins at TE). Personally, I'm not sure Earnest Jones will beat out Kiser or Reeder. The others all need work and probably won't make the game-day roster.

A better question might be who from last year's draft might get in the rotations. I like Hopkins, Anchrum, Terrell Burgess, and I hope Heocht and Williams make a splash this year.

 

[ReekofRams]

Ernest Jones is the only one I see who has a possibility of starting, but most likely he’ll be a rotational player. There some like Tutu Atwell, Bobby Brown, Robert Rochelle, and Jake Funk who we may see in short yardage situations, that may play significant minutes. But as far as starting, they’re just going to have to wait for a year or two.

 

[shovelpass]

It's draft hype season, every player is a "gem" right now. Once the regular season begins the majority of these guys will be ghosts.

 

[SuperMan28]

I think you're gonna see these guys sprinkled in sub packages more as the season goes on. Of course if some veteran guys get banged up then that'll open the door for increased snap counts.

 

[NJRamsFan]

If you're a 10-6 team (43-21 last 4 seasons), don't have a first round draft pick and rookies make the starting lineup, something is wrong. Either you know waaaay more than other teams or you have a deficiency among you're starters. I think we're all in agreement, the most likely to win a starting job is ILB Jones. I doubt anybody else sniffs a starting job.

Or like sometimes rookies are just good

 

[Florida_Ram]

Rookies that will win starting roles ?

I'm confident 2 players will start out of the gate.

Harris & Funk will start on special teams.

 

[Mister Sin]

I think Jones comes in and starts Day 1....hear me know MFs. He will be our leader for years to come in the middle.

 

[PARAM]

Or like sometimes rookies are just good

Sure they are. And sometimes they play on shitty teams and are picked really high, so not only are they good but there's a spot waiting for them. The good thing is, the Rams don't actually need any of the rookies to start. But of all the positions, LB is the most likely.

Jacksonville picked 4 guys in the first 45 selections. They'll have some starters.
The Jets, 3 in the first 34.
Kyle Pitts will start for Atlanta (and probably on almost any other team in the NFL).
So yeah, sometimes rookies are just good.

 

[rdlkgliders]

@Juggs I think Jones comes in and starts Day 1....hear me know MFs. He will be our leader for years to come in the middle.


We have had our share of non prototypical backers over the past 20 years, London Fletcher and Mark Barron to name 2.
Maybe Jones joins that group.
Pre 2000 it was more traditional Kelm, Owens, Phifer, Laurinaitas,.... No need to go as far back as Reynolds and my all time Fave the great Isiah

 

[ReekofRams]

It's draft hype season, every player is a "gem" right now. Once the regular season begins the majority of these guys will be ghosts.

That just hasn’t been the case since McVay became the Rams head coach

 

[shovelpass]

That just hasn’t been the case since McVay became the Rams head coach

Sure it has. The drafts under McVay have been good overall, but go back and read through the comments on draft day and compare it to their actual production. Case in point people were pumped about Clay Johnston last draft, didn't make the team. Has nothing to do with our HC, it's about fan expectation.

 

[OldSchool]

Sure it has. The drafts under McVay have been good overall, but go back and read through the comments on draft day and compare it to their actual production. Case in point people were pumped about Clay Johnston last draft, didn't make the team. Has nothing to do with our HC, it's about fan expectation.

And it gets more pronounced with the UDFA. Xavier Jones, Eric Banks, Michael Hoecht, Blanton and Brewer and who can ever forget Rams legend Natrez Patrick from 2019.

 

[ReekofRams]

Sure it has. The drafts under McVay have been good overall, but go back and read through the comments on draft day and compare it to their actual production. Case in point people were pumped about Clay Johnston last draft, didn't make the team. Has nothing to do with our HC, it's about fan expectation.

Your ordinal comment said they would be ghost, for the most part that wasn’t the case. Don’t use one example to prove your blanket theory. Besides Clay Johnson turned down the Rams offer to sign him to theie practice squad to go play on someone else’s practice squad. If he would have stuck around with all the injuries the Rams had at linebacker he probably would’ve seen lots of playing time.

 

[kurtfaulk]

.

kupp, everett, john johnson
rapp, edwards, evans
akers, jefferson, fuller, burgess

mcvay plays rookies if they're good enough, or healthy when starters are out.

.

 

[bubbaramfan]

Funk will be in to block for Stafford on 3rd and long obvious pass plays. Akers and Hendy are unreliable picking up blitz's. I see Funk taking Malcolm Brown's role as early as game one.

 

[oldnotdead]

Everyone seems to like Jones, but just like Kiser whom he seems to resemble, Jones has his issues that need to be addressed. Foremost other than the usual technique issues like his need to stack and shed, is his strengthening and conditioning. He's simply not strong enough for what he faces in the NFL. He's Kiser's replacement, and even next year he will be playing behind Reeder who has shown he can ball. Kiser is in a contract year with minimal dead cap. How well Jones looks in TC will determine whether Kiser stays on the roster this year.

MId-round and late-round picks dropped because they need a year or more to polish their game and build their bodies for the NFL. This is particularly true for players in the defensive front 7. It doesn't mean they can't become starters, but it really depends upon the team. Some teams need bodies to immediately fill holes in their rosters, but not the Rams. With this roster, there are too many guys ahead of them. There is nothing wrong with taking a year or even two to build their bodies and polish their techniques. It many times comes down to work ethic and mindset.

 

[shovelpass]

Your ordinal comment said they would be ghost, for the most part that wasn’t the case. Don’t use one example to prove your blanket theory. Besides Clay Johnson turned down the Rams offer to sign him to theie practice squad to go play on someone else’s practice squad. If he would have stuck around with all the injuries the Rams had at linebacker he probably would’ve seen lots of playing time.

It's one example, not to prove my theory but to show you what i mean since you're confused about it. It has nothing to do with playing time, it's about exceding fan expectations, i also said that everyone is a "gem". Ebukam played for years, started a large amount too, and outside of a handful of games he was pretty much invisible.

Even if Johnston signed on the PS there's no guarantee that he'd make it to the roster or get playing time. Despite Kiser and Howard being injured, only 4 LBs got snaps at ILB Kiser, Reeder, Young, and Hollins. Since Johnston couldn't beat any of them out for a roster spot I don't see why he'd get playing time over them. In CAR he was active for 2 games and played 3 whole snaps on defense.

If you're trying to argue about rookies getting playing time under McVay you're wasting your time. This isn't it

 

[MauiRam]

There is nothing wrong with taking a year or even two to build their bodies and polish their techniques. It many times comes down to work ethic and mindset.

That !














1

 

[FrantikRam]

I think Jones has a chance to start because someone has to call the plays on defense - I think that'll be between Kiser, Jones and Fuller - considering Kisers injury history...

Atwell gets more playing time once DJax goes down.

But ultimately I don't think any will start (I hope Jones does though) - the best chance to be the first man up will be Jones, BB3 and Rochell - I think all three would start if a starter gets injured at their position.

 

[badnews]

I think Jones comes in and starts Day 1....hear me know MFs. He will be our leader for years to come in the middle.

I concur.