Versatility is starting to become a prerequisite for safeties who are coming into the NFL. That's why the Los Angeles Rams fell in love with Taylor Rapp out of Washington during the draft process.
This offseason, the Rams signed Eric Weddle to replace Lamarcus Joyner at free safety. That didn't deter the Rams from using the 61st overall pick on Rapp at the same position. So how do the Rams plan on using Rapp in 2019?
Rapp's ability to play on different levels of the defense makes him a perfect fit for a Wade Phillips defense. At Washington, Rapp's designated position was free safety but he never was one to line up in the same place all game.
As a matter of fact, Rapp had 79 snaps at the line of scrimmage, 364 snaps in the box, 528 snaps at slot cornerback, and 1,271 snaps at free safety during his collegiate career. His coverage skills are some of the best you'll see from a safety.
In Rapp's 528 snaps at the slot cornerback position, the versatile safety allowed a passer rating of 41.5. According to PFF, Rapp allowed a 12.0 passer rating and received a coverage grade of 89.8 for the 2018 season.
Taylor Rapp is another impressive safety and he sat down with us at PFF to give us some insight into his game. https://t.co/o46pLeceDC pic.twitter.com/c8mEJU7fVB
— PFF College (@PFF_College) April 25, 2019
Some of Rapp's uncanny abilities come in the form of his ability to rush the passer and stop the run as a safety. During Rapp's time at Washington, he recorded 15 total pressures in his 72 snaps as a pass rusher. Getting to the quarterback is one of Rapp's many skills that make him a coveted player in the NFL.
As a run defender, Rapp tallied 168 total tackles in his three years at Washington and received a 90.7 run-defense grade from PFF. In addition, the rookie safety missed just 12 tackles throughout his college career. As you can see, Rapp has a wide variety of skills that can be useful for Phillips and the Rams defense.
If you look around the NFL, guys like Derwin James and Jamal Adams are the prototypical safeties teams are looking for. Both are versatile players and even Rapp realizes those guys are remarkable guys to watch play the position.
“[James and Adams are] big role models, but I don’t model my game after one specific player,” Rapp said. “I try to take a little tad bit from all the players I look up to… I think I take a little bit from everyone, for sure.”
How will Phillips utilize Rapp in an efficient way for Los Angeles this season? As of now, Micah Kiser is slated to start at the inside linebacker position alongside Cory Littleton. On third downs or passing situations, Phillips will likely lean towards using Rapp to replace Kiser in sub-packages.
That will allow Kiser to be the thumper during run situations while Rapp can come in and help with coverage on tight ends and slot receivers. Plus, Rapp doesn't give up too much in terms of run defense due to his ability to make tackles in the running game.
For this season, Phillips essentially has a Swiss Army knife in Rapp to use on the defense. He can line him up in the box to disguise certain looks, put him at the line of scrimmage to rush the passer, or even throw him out there to cover a receiver in dime packages.
Last season, the Rams found themselves in tough situations where they'd be stuck having a linebacker covering a tight end. With Rapp, he has the abilities to cover tight ends and make a play downfield on the ball. The future is bright with Rapp and John Johnson in the secondary.
Regardless, Rams fans should be elated for the future of Rapp on the defense. Rapp gets to learn from Weddle at the free safety position while he is used as a wild-card on defense.
Nonetheless, the Rams second-round pick figures to play a decent-sized role for Sean McVay and Los Angeles in 2019.
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