Los Angeles Rams: Way-Too-Early 53-Man Roster and Depth Chart Predictions
The 2016 NFL draft is now complete. The Los Angeles Rams were able to strengthen the final roster despite having a limited number of picks.
The Rams grabbed quarterback Jared Goff with the No. 1 overall selection. Los Angeles cut a deal with the Tennessee Titans weeks before the draft to obtain the top pick, per ESPN.com. The Rams traded two second-round selections and a third-round pick in 2016. Tennessee also gets Los Angeles’ first- and third-round picks in 2017. In addition to the No. 1 pick, the Rams also received Tennessee’s fourth- and sixth-round selections for 2016.
The Rams’ second pick of the draft did not come until the fourth round. At No. 110 overall, the team grabbed Western Kentucky tight end Tyler Higbee. With the No. 117 pick, Los Angeles added South Carolina receiver Pharoh Cooper.
In the sixth round, the Rams had three selections. The team grabbed tight end Temarrick Hemingway of South Carolina State at No. 177, Kentucky linebacker Josh Forrest at No. 190 and wide receiver Mike Thomas out of Southern Mississippi at No. 206.
Los Angeles will be signing undrafted rookies over the next several days, so the training camp roster is not yet complete. Even so, we now have a vague idea of what the final roster will look like.
It’s too early to make any official predictions, as a lot can happen between now and camp. Even so, this article will take a shot at predicting the 53-man roster for the Rams in 2016.
Quarterback
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The quarterback position is one of the easiest areas to predict. Unless an unforeseen injury occurs, it’s pretty clear who the Rams will hang on to.
Goff was the No. 1 pick and is expected to be the top guy. In this day and age, rookie quarterbacks are expected to start in the NFL. If Goff fails to win the top job, it’ll be a major disappointment, but that’s highly unlikely. He's a talented prospect and should run away with the job.
Last season, Case Keenum started the final four games and finished with a nice 3-1 stretch to close out the year. Between him and Nick Foles, the Rams are only keeping one of their veteran passers. Keenum was better than Foles last season, so he deserves to be the official backup in 2016.
The Rams also drafted Sean Mannion in the third round last year. Mannion didn’t show much promise his rookie year, but he was a relatively high draft pick, so the Rams will keep him around. The team is hoping to groom him over the next year or two to either become trade bait or a long-term No. 2 behind Goff.
| Depth Chart | Player |
| 1 | Jared Goff |
| 2 | Case Keenum |
| 3 | Sean Mannion |
Wide Receiver/Tight End
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The Los Angeles pass-catchers are weak. It’s an area of concern for this team, and the Rams are hoping Goff can overcome the lack of weapons.
Tavon Austin is a big-time playmaker and an aerial threat capable of striking fear in a defense. Austin and Goff must develop a perfect chemistry. If that happens, Austin will be one of the more dangerous playmakers in the league next season.
Kenny Britt led the team in receiving last season with 681 yards. He showed up big some weeks and really bailed out the passing game, but he completely disappeared at times, too. The Rams need more consistency out of him.
Brian Quick showed a lot of promise in 2014. He had 25 catches for 365 yards and three scores before missing the remainder of the season with an injury. For a brief moment, it looked like he was finally developing into a No. 1 receiver, but he was completely invisible last season with only 102 total yards. He’s a major question mark, but he’ll probably get another shot.
Bradley Marquez was an undrafted rookie last season and showed a lot of promise. He’s a good playmaker with really nice potential, so the Rams are hoping for more contributions from him in the upcoming season.
The Rams also added fourth-round pick Pharoh Cooper to the roster. He’ll play inside in the slot and line up outside as well. He's versatile enough to play all over the field. He’ll contribute immediately at the next level.
Sixth-round pick Mike Thomas will take a little time to develop, but he'll still see some action and play on special teams.
At tight end, Lance Kendricks is expected to lead the way. He’s been primarily a blocker the last several seasons, but it’d be nice to get him more involved in the passing game.
At 6'6", rookie Higbee will be the Rams’ red-zone target with his monstrous size, and Cory Harkey will contribute as the No. 3 tight end.
It's rather unlikely that Hemingway and Thomas will both make the squad. In this scenario, Thomas makes the cut, but Hemingway sticks around only as a practice squad member.
| WR Depth Chart | Player |
| 1 | Tavon Austin |
| 2 | Kenny Britt |
| 3 | Brian Quick |
| 4 | Bradley Marquez |
| 5 | Pharoh Cooper |
| 6 | Mike Thomas |
| TE Depth Chart | Player |
| 1 | Lance Kendricks |
| 2 | Tyler Higbee |
| 3 | Cory Harkey |
Running Back
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At running back, the Rams will lean on Todd Gurley to do it all. Gurley rushed for 1,106 yards and 10 touchdowns in only 13 games his rookie season and is arguably the best running back in the NFL entering the 2016 season.
As a run-first team, the plan is to get Gurley the football and allow him to make big plays. Still, he needs some relief from the backups.
Benny Cunningham will be the No. 2. He’s a good pass-catcher and will be the team’s third-down back. Second-year pro Malcolm Brown is a bruiser and should make the cut as the No. 3.
If Gurley goes down for a game or two, expect Brown and Cunningham to split the carries 50-50.
Tre Mason and Trey Watts are both talented backs, but the team can't tolerate their off-field hiccups. Watts was suspended indefinitely in November for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy, per Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com. As for Mason, he’ll likely be facing a suspension, as he recently had a warrant out for his arrest related to possession of marijuana, reckless driving and resisting arrest, per Wagoner.
It’s possible either player could make the team after being reinstated. For now, the Rams will stick with Brown and Cunningham. Chase Reynolds will also make the squad as a special teams weapon.
| Depth Chart | Player |
| 1 | Todd Gurley |
| 2 | Benny Cunningham |
| 3 | Malcolm Brown |
| 4 | Chase Reynolds |
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Offensive Line
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The Rams had a lot of youth and multiple rookies on the offensive line last season. Now that the youngsters have a year of experience under their belts, this unit should be much better in 2016.
The big question mark is Greg Robinson. He was selected No. 2 overall in 2014 and was a monster coming out of Auburn, but his NFL career has been a disaster. Pro Football Focus ranked him 74th out of 76 NFL tackles. His potential is enormous, but the Rams really need him to step up this season.
Rodger Saffold and Jamon Brown will hold down the guard positions. Saffold has a terrible history with injuries, so in the highly likely event he goes down, Andrew Donnal or veteran Garrett Reynolds will be there to jump in.
Rookies Cody Wichmann and Isaiah Battle saw little action in 2015, but both will be improved players in 2016 and will provide excellent depth for the Rams.
Center Tim Barnes will once again be the starter in 2016. He had a sloppy start last season but really solidified as the year transpired.
Right now, it’s unclear who will be the backup center. It’s possible the team could convert one of the current linemen into a backup center, but it’s more likely the Rams will bring someone else in after the first round of cuts. If that’s the case, that new player will replace Darrell Williams on the roster.
| Depth Chart | Player |
| LT | Greg Robinson |
| LG | Rodger Saffold |
| C | Tim Barnes |
| RG | Jamon Brown |
| RT | Rob Havenstein |
| 6 | Andrew Donnal |
| 7 | Cody Wichmann |
| 8 | Isaiah Battle |
| 9 | Garrett Reynolds |
| 10 | Darrell Williams |
Defensive Line
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The defensive line will be the top strength for the Rams in 2016. It’s the heart and soul of the team, and it’s a unit that keeps offensive coordinators up at night.
Aaron Donald is an unstoppable force. Not only is he the best defensive tackle in the game, but he might be the best overall defensive player in the league. Some would argue voters completely snubbed him, as they named J.J. Watt the 2015 Defensive Player of the Year. Donald didn’t win the official award, but Pro Football Focus got it right by naming him its Defensive POY.
Donald will be accompanied by man-eater Michael Brockers in the middle. Brockers will continue to dominate at his overlooked but important role—occupying blockers and stuffing the run.
On the edge, Robert Quinn is expected to have another Pro Bowl-worthy season. He was banged up last year, but a healthy Quinn will be a major boost for the defense. He needs to return to his 2013 form—where he finished second in the NFL with 19 sacks.
William Hayes will be a suitable replacement for Chris Long, and Eugene Sims will be the No. 3 defensive end. Ethan Westbrooks will be the ultimate utility man and back up Donald and both ends.
Louis Trinca-Pasat and newcomer Quinton Coples will also be there to provide depth.
There are some other capable linemen on the roster—Doug Worthington, Matt Longacre—who might make the team, but the Rams have only so many spots available. There will certainly be some interesting training camp battles on the defensive line.
| Depth Chart | Player |
| LDE | William Hayes |
| NT | Michael Brockers |
| DT | Aaron Donald |
| RDE | Robert Quinn |
| 5 | Eugene Sims |
| 6 | Ethan Westbrooks |
| 7 | Quinton Coples |
| 8 | Louis Trinca-Pasat |
Linebacker
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The linebackers will have a slight makeover this season due to the departure of veteran James Laurinaitis.
Fourth-year pro Alec Ogletree will move inside and is expected to be the star of the unit. He’s an excellent player and was having a Pro Bowl performance in 2015. Unfortunately, a fractured fibula cut it short, per Wagoner.
Mark Barron has been an enforcer on defense for the Rams and will move to linebacker full time. The starter opposite Barron will be Akeem Ayers, who is entering his second season with the Rams.
Bryce Hager will be the backup and provide help on special teams, as will backup Cameron Lynch.
The Rams also spent a sixth-round selection on Forrest. His primary role will be to back up Ogletree in the middle, but he'll also play special teams.
| Depth Chart | Player |
| MLB | Alec Ogletree |
| SLB | Akeem Ayers |
| WLB | Mark Barron |
| 4 | Bryce Hager |
| 5 | Josh Forrest |
| 6 | Cameron Lynch |
Cornerback
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The cornerback position took a hit after free agent Janoris Jenkins left the team to sign with the New York Giants, per ESPN.com.
Even with the loss of Jenkins, the Rams should be fine at cornerback. After missing the entire 2015 season with a foot injury, per NFL.com, 2014 starter E.J. Gaines will be back to fill in for Jenkins. Gaines and Trumaine Johnson will be the starters, giving Los Angeles a capable duo at cornerback.
Marcus Roberson and Lamarcus Joyner will also contribute as depth. Both players are familiar with the defense and can step in as starters at any time.
The team also has veteran Coty Sensabaugh as insurance.
Overall, this is a pretty strong position for the Rams in 2016.
| Depth Chart | Player |
| 1 | Trumaine Johnson |
| 2 | E.J. Gaines |
| 3 | Lamarcus Joyner |
| 4 | Marcus Roberson |
| 5 | Coty Sensabaugh |
| 6 | Troy Hill |
Safety
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The Rams are transitioning at safety due to the loss of starter Rodney McLeod. McLeod, who entered the league as an undrafted rookie, was an enforcer at free safety and a key player on defense.
McLeod was productive, but the Rams can survive without him. T.J. McDonald will stick around as a starter. He’ll likely stay at strong safety but could make the transition to free safety.
Third-year pro Mo Alexander and Lamarcus Joyner will start alongside McDonald. Alexander is probably better suited on run downs, and Los Angeles will bring in Joyner as a safety or nickel in obvious passing situations.
Cody Davis and Christian Bryant will provide depth, and both players are expected to be major contributors on special teams—especially Davis.
| Depth Chart | Player |
| 1 | T.J. McDonald |
| 2 | Mo Alexander |
| 3 | Lamarcus Joyner |
| 4 | Cody Davis |
| 6 | Christian Bryant |
Special Teams
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There won’t be anything new on special teams this year, unless the Rams bring in a kicker to compete with Greg Zuerlein—which is something they should strongly consider.
The Rams are moving to an outdoor facility, which is not good for Zuerlein. He was just 10-of-17 on all outdoor field-goal attempts last season. He has also missed three extra points over the last two seasons. If Los Angeles doesn’t bring in some real competition for Zuerlein, it’ll be a major surprise.
If no one battles for the job, Zuerlein will continue to be the team’s kicker. Pro Bowler Johnny Hekker will remain the punter and is still one of the best in the league, and Jake McQuaide remains the team’s long snapper.
| Depth Chart | Player |
| K | Greg Zuerlein |
| P | Johnny Hekker |
| LS | Jake McQuaide |
53-Man Roster Predictions
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