Los Angeles Rams rookie safety Taylor Rapp got his first taste of the NFL speed in his team's preseason loss to the Oakland Raiders on Saturday.
The former Washington Husky showed his versatility by lining up in the midfield, by the line of scrimmage, or as a strong safety. He left the game with two tackles and a pass deflection to his name.
Head coach Sean McVay left the game impressed.
“I just think the instincts and the awareness [jumped on the tape],” said McVay. “You could just see how fast he’s playing, his ability to negotiate those traffic situations. I mean, there’s even a situation where a ball gets strung out on a wide-zone play towards our sideline and he gets a guy going low on him and he shows incredible balance to be able to stay up and kind of force the ball back. He’s really done a lot of nice things, but I just think you’re just seeing a guy play with urgency.”
The Rams drafted Rapp at No. 61 to be that versatile safety. At Washington, he recorded 168 combined tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, seven interceptions, and six pass deflections in three seasons of play.
According to Pro Football Focus, Rapp allowed just 0.13 yards per cover snap in 2018 and 51.6 snaps per reception. His 89.8 coverage grades ranks fifth in his draft class while his 90.1 overall grade finishes at third.
Though Rapp impressed, he's not likely to get time as an immediate starter in Los Angeles. Sean McVay probably won't allow that. John Johnson III should continue to take strong safety snaps after two seasons doing so at a high level. Free agency addition Eric Weddle will take the free safety role and is a six-time Pro Bowler. Yet, the future looks bright for the rookie.
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