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Rams 2020 breakout watchlist: LB Micah Kiser
The departure of Cory Littleton in free agency was one of the toughest pills for the Rams and their fans to swallow. He was one of the most important players on the team and a leader on defense, do…
theramswire.usatoday.com
The departure of Cory Littleton in free agency was one of the toughest pills for the Rams and their fans to swallow. He was one of the most important players on the team and a leader on defense, doing everything well in the middle of the field.
The Rams were already thin at linebacker even with Littleton on the roster, but their situation in 2020 seems dire. Their linebacker group is a collection of unproven players with minimal NFL experience, which is a huge risk – especially after the front office more or less ignored the position this offseason.
It’ll be an open competition this summer, but Micah Kiser seems like the most probable one to earn a starting job. He has yet to play a single defensive snap in the NFL, though, and is coming off a pectoral injury suffered last preseason.
He has a chance to break out and emerge as a quality player for the Rams, however, now that the door is wide open atop the depth chart.
NFL career thus far
Kiser played all 16 games as a rookie in 2018, but he didn’t step foot on the field with the Rams defense. All 298 of his snaps played that year were on special teams, and he made four total tackles. He was in line to start next to Littleton last year before landing on IR with a pectoral injury, but it’s never good when a player is entering Year 3 with zero defensive snaps under his belt.
Kiser came into the league as a fifth-round pick in 2018 and was viewed as more of a run stopper than an all-around linebacker. He was playing relatively well in the preseason before injuring his pec, but that performance won’t get him a free pass to a starting job in Brandon Staley’s system.
Why he could break out
The Rams are betting big on their unproven linebackers, specifically Kiser. Les Snead said he would “buy stock” in Kiser, speaking highly of him this offseason. He has a golden opportunity to become a starter for the Rams in 2020, given the lack of talent and experience Los Angeles has at inside linebacker. That by itself is a reason he could break out.
But more importantly, Kiser looked capable of starting last preseason. It was in limited action as he played just two games before getting hurt, but his instincts were on display in that brief time – particularly against the run.
Against the Raiders, Kiser made a nice tackle on fourth-and-1, though not before the running back picked up the first down. It was a good read by Kiser, but a better move by the back.
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Kiser’s best trait is his tackling, which showed up on his tape at Virginia. In college, he had three straight years with at least 117 tackles, including 33.5 for a loss. He was also capable of rushing the passer on inside blitzes, recording 19.0 sacks.
Kiser could break out if he wins the starting inside linebacker job, which typically requires the player to play almost every single snap – just as Littleton almost did last year. If he can pull that off, he’ll be in line for 100-plus tackles and possibly a few sacks.
Why he may not
There’s a chance Kiser doesn’t earn significant playing time again in 2020. It’ll be an open competition at inside linebacker this summer when camps open, and Kiser doesn’t exactly have the benefit of a coach who knows his game. Wade Phillips is out, and Staley is coming in with an open mind.
Not to mention, there’s a ton of competition at this position, even if all the players battling lack NFL experience. Travin Howard looked good at the end of last season in spot duty and has excellent range. Kenny Young is a former starter for the Ravens, though he didn’t do much with the Rams last season. Troy Reeder started a handful of games for the Rams last year, but his snaps were limited in the Rams’ nickel and dime-heavy scheme. Even seventh-round rookie Clay Johnston will get a chance to prove his value.
Kiser also isn’t the best linebacker in coverage. He has decent movement skills, but he’s not as fast or explosive as Littleton is, which limits him in coverage.
On this play in the preseason, he tries to force the running back outside on the option route, but he still allows DeAndre Washington to cut inside, which leaves Kiser grasping for his jersey as he comes open.
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It’s not the easiest play to make, and Kiser still made the tackle, but he didn’t exactly show great quickness or foot speed on this rep.
