The upcoming free agency period will be filled with plenty of talent across the board on both sides of the ball. Among those will be fifth-year Los Angeles Rams safety Lamarcus Joyner, who has established himself as one of rising stars in the NFL at his position.
This notion was only further backed by Pro Football Focus recently ranking him as the top graded safety available in free agency.
The top graded free agent safeties from 2017! pic.twitter.com/kkR9xhJHts
— PFF (@PFF) February 13, 2018
In fact, Joyner is coming off a promising 2017 season that saw him finish as the third-highest graded player at his position, only trailing the Chicago Bears' Adrian Amos (92.0) and Minnesota Vikings' Harrison Smith (97.0). He played in 12 games where he made 49 tackles, forced a fumble, and recorded his first three career interceptions. The 27-year-old has made a successful transition from a hybrid cornerback/safety who excels in nickel coverage to a total package safety.
Despite his constant issues with nagging injuries, he has proven to be an extremely valuable piece to the Rams' secondary over the first four seasons of his career. Re-signing him is a priority for LA in order to keep an important part of their defense in place. Los Angeles can ill-afford to lose the former second-round pick on the open market, as it would create a major hole on that side of the ball.
Joyner may be small in stature at 5-foot-8 and 190 lbs, but he has proven himself as a hard-hitting defensive back who can be effective in both man and zone coverage. His versatility over his first few seasons has helped him become a well-rounded defensive player. All of this should help him garner a lucrative contract in free agency from the Rams or possibly another team in need of secondary help.
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