Rams draft picks make the cut

The team placed all 14 draft picks on its 53-man roster for the 2023 NFL season

(News4usonline) – The Rams made their personnel moves and have solidified their 2023 season roster. After three preseason games and a whole body of training camp work to evaluate, Rams head coach Sean McVay and his coaches formalized the team they wanted. That includes making room for 15 rookies to make the active 53-man roster. 

With a whole new makeover to the team’s roster, McVay was asked during a Zoom meeting with reporters if this season would provide the biggest challenge of his coaching career. McVay would not go that far, but did he admit that his coaching wits would be tested.     

“I guess you got to just watch! It’s going to be a great challenge, but every single year is a challenge,” McVay said. “I never really go into it looking at it other than that’s why you get into the NFL to coach is because you get an opportunity to work with special people, special coaches to try to be able to help them reach and realize their highest potential and I feel really good about the rapport that’s been established with this group. 

McVay continued, “Shoot, we know we’ve got great challenges, but that’s why you get into the NFL and so I’m looking forward to truly… it’s the old BS coaching cliché, but I do mean it in my heart of hearts that, hey, we’re taking it a day at a time. We’re enjoying the hell out of really committing to just getting better and having a growth mindset and figuring out, alright, if things don’t go the way we want, how do we go back to work? Because the work works in terms of having that improvement show.”

The Rams roster reflects the youth movement on the team. The Rams went into the 2023 NFL Draft with 14 picks at their disposal. Of the 15 rookies who made the team, all 14 of the players that the Rams selected in the draft, made the final cut. Long snapper Alex Ward is the other rookie that made the team. 

There are a couple of rookies who McVay is really excited about. 

“I think when you just look at our draft class in particular, I’m really excited about (OL) Steve Avila, (OLB) Byron Young, (NT) Kobie Turner, Puka Nacua, those are guys that come to mind as guys that we count on being immediate contributors for us who have earned the right to be those types of immediate contributors,” McVay said. 

With all those draft picks, the Rams were able to shore up positions across the board. 

Big things are expected from Byron Young, Nick Hampton, and Ochaun Mathis as edge rushers and outside linebackers. Steve Avila and Warren McClendon bring talent to the offensive line. Kobie Turner and Desjuan Johnson will plug up the defensive line holes. 

Jason Taylor II and Tre Tomlinson have earned their keep with the team as up-and-coming defensive backs. Puka Nacua (wide receiver) and Davis Allen (tight end) give quarterback Matthew Stafford a couple of talented young pass catchers. 

Ethan Evans made the team as a punter. Zach Evans gives the Rams depth in the backfield with another quality running back behind Cam Akers. And then there is Stetson Bennett, a two-time national champion at the University of Georgia. Bennett made the team as the No. 2 quarterback behind Stafford. 

So with all these changes to the roster, what should fans expect this season from the Rams? 

“Watching us continue to improve and watching us go shoot our shot with a mental and physical toughness,” said McVay. “I’ve never been one… you saw me when I was 30 years old in 2017 saying, ‘What the hell are these guys thinking?’ I’ve never been one to really worry about anything except for being where we are and trying to compete to the best of our ability. 

“I think that’s going to show up with the way that you see this group continue to figure out how to handle adversity, how to handle some of the success that they’re able to achieve and continue to see that improvement show and I feel pretty confident that that’s going to occur.”