6 Rams to watch in preseason Week 1 vs. Chargers
The Los Angeles Rams are slated to begin their 2023 preseason schedule with a matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers on Saturday. This marks the third straight year the Rams will square off against their neighbors in the preseason.
Sean McVay iterated that the Rams are going to take a “very different approach” to the preseason this year with the number of rookies and inexperienced players on the roster. Even with McVay altering his mindset entering the preseason, we shouldn’t expect to see the likes of Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, Rob Havenstein, Tyler Higbee, and Aaron Donald receive snaps until Week 1 against the Seattle Seahawks.
Ahead of Saturday’s exhibition contest versus the Chargers, here are six players on the Rams to keep an eye on.
QB Stetson Bennett
The Rams took Stetson Bennett in the fourth round of this year’s draft with the intention of him being the immediate backup to Stafford. McVay and the coaching staff have had nothing but glowing remarks when speaking on Bennett this offseason, though, he’ll need to prove himself in live-game action.
Before Bennett gets officially anointed as the No. 2 quarterback on the depth chart, the Rams will want to see him show poise and command of the offense during the preseason, and that begins on Saturday against the Chargers.
RB Kyren Williams
Kyren Williams would sustain an ankle injury in Week 1 of his rookie campaign in 2022, which forced him to be sidelined until Week 10. After seeing a limited role to conclude last season, Williams is slated to begin the upcoming season as the backup running back to Cam Akers.
The second-year back will need to fend off veteran Royce Freeman, rookie Zach Evans, and Ronnie Rivers throughout the preseason. Williams is a player that has caught the eye of Stafford in training camp, but he’ll need to have a strong showing in the preseason to secure a role in the offense.
WR Puka Nacua
Cooper Kupp and Van Jefferson are locked into the top two spots at wide receiver barring an unforeseen change of events. Behind Kupp and Jefferson, the Rams are currently holding a competition for the No. 3 spot and Puka Nacua is certainly in the mix to win the job.
Nacua has put together a strong training camp, making highlight-worthy plays seemingly every day. If the rookie wideout can get out to a fast start in the preseason, there’s a chance the Rams will have no choice but to give him rest so he’s fresh for the start of the regular season.
OLB Michael Hoecht
Much has been made about the lack of production the Rams got from their edge rushers in 2022. Michael Hoecht is expected to be part of the solution in 2023 as he enters his first full offseason as an edge rusher after making the transition from defensive tackle.
Hoecht notched 4.5 sacks last season, which was the most by an edge rusher on the Rams not named Leonard Floyd. While Hoecht could play a vital role in the defense’s pass-rushing plans, he still could benefit from getting live snaps against the Chargers and other teams in the preseason.
CB Robert Rochell
Unofficial depth charts to begin the preseason don’t carry much weight, but the Rams did happen to list the top three cornerbacks as Cobie Durant, Ahkello Witherspoon, and Derion Kendrick. Robert Rochell, who is entering his third year with the Rams, is looking to earn a starting role when the regular season kicks off.
Before the Rams signed Witherspoon, Rochell possessed the most size at the position, leading some to believe he could start on the outside. Kendrick has been dealing with an injury that has sidelined him during training camp, so there’s a chance Rochell could supplant Kendrick on the depth chart with a productive outing versus the Chargers.
CB Tre'Vius Hodges-Tomlinson
Another cornerback yearning to see meaningful playing time early in the upcoming season is rookie Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson. Hodges-Tomlinson is regarded as one of the draft steals by some as the Rams landed the TCU product in the sixth round of this year’s draft.
In the NFL, Hodges-Tomlinson’s best chance of excelling is playing out of the slot, allowing him to use his quickness and ball-tracking ability to make plays on the ball. While Durant is expected to be deployed as the ‘star’ cornerback following Jalen Ramsey’s departure, Hodges-Tomlinson could potentially earn snaps out of the slot with a stellar preseason.
