After taking one of the most experienced teams in recent memory to the Super Bowl a few years back, sacrificing draft pick after draft pick in the pursuit of name-brand star power, the Los Angeles Rams have taken things in a decidedly different direction over the past two seasons, embracing a youth movement around stalwarts like Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp.
Sometimes, this strategy has worked out seamlessly, as the team has found players like Byron Young, Kobie Turner, Kyren Williams, and a certain 1,486-yard receiver outside of the first round, but for it to keep going, a few more young players need to step up in 2024 and steal starting spots from long-in-the-tooth veterans with much less long-term upside.
Fortunately, the Rams have a pair of exciting perimeter players who could do just that, including a Day 3 wide receiver drafted in April and an ascending former fourth-round pick who is coming into his own in Year 3.
These expected Rams starters could lose their spots
1. Jordan Whittington could unseat Demarcus Robinson at WR3
Heading into 2023, few fans expected Puka Nacua to be, well, Puka Nacua, the all-time leading rookie wide receiver in NFL history and the Offensive Rookie of the Year finalist.
Did the Rams find a similarly exciting prospect in 2024 in Texas Longhorns sixth-round pick Jordan Whittington, who looked like an absolute player for LA during their first preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys?
Standing 6-foot-1, 206 pounds, Whittington was never a particularly dominant performer over his five years in Austin, but when his number was called, he played a consistent role for the Longhorns, catching at least 40 balls in each of the last two seasons while maintaining a yards-per-catch average of at least 14.5 since the 2021 season.
And needless to say, after hauling in six passes for 74 yards, including a very impressive 30-yard reception, fans are expecting big things from their brand-new rookie receiver.
Asked what he liked about Whittington after his big preseason game, Sean McVay celebrated his maturity, as he looks ready to play right away.
“Yeah, he's just a mature rookie,” McVay told reporters. “He's so conscientious. [Receivers Coach] Eric Yarber always does such a great job in addition to [Offensive Assistant/Pass Game Specialist] Nate Scheelhaase and [Offensive Assistant] Rob Calabrese You don't see guys on game day until you get to game day and just the look in his eyes… He's a grown man, and he played like a grown man with the ball in his hands, did a great job without it. I just really like him. He's going to be a factor for us, and I thought today was a good start for him, and he's the type of guy that's only going to continue to grow from that.”
Will Whittington eclipse 1,000 yards this fall? No, probably not, but he could be the Rams' WR3 over Demarcus Robinson or Tutu Atwell, be that in Week 1 or by the end of the season.
2. Cobie Durant could unseat Darius Williams at CB2
Turning from the men responsible for catching balls to the performer tasked with stopping them, the most surprising development of the 2024 preseason has to be the development of Cobie Durant, the former fourth-round pick out of South Carolina State who is entering his third professional season in the NFL.
After logging 643 snaps last season as a part-time starter, it looked like the Rams' influx of veteran cornerbacks would limit Durant's options this fall, but between the injuries suffered by Darius Williams on the outside and Derion Kendrick in the slot and Durant's own improved play, the timing could be right for him to snatch a starting spot and become a player for the team long-term.
Asked about what he's seen from Durant so far as a pro, defensive coordinator Chris Shula complemented his growth, noting that the former fourth-round pick is playing up to his talent more so than in years past.
“A guy that’s really grown,” Chris Shula told reporters earlier this month. “He’s playing a lot more outside now, where, his first year, I was actually the DBs coach, and he was playing more inside all the time. It’s a guy that’s really understanding. Tre White actually took him under his wing in the offseason. He’s really understanding route combinations, splits, exactly what he is going to get. A guy that has just been playing consistent, and he really has all offseason.”
With a unique blend of on-field experience, speed, and overall upside, Durant has the potential to be a player for the Rams long-term, even if Williams and Tre'Davious White have more overall experience and “better” accolades. If Durant can win the starting spot fair and square, it will only spell good things for the Rams long-term.
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