How the Los Angeles Rams improved their secondary in 2024 and what it could mean for the NFL Draft

• The Los Angeles Rams significantly bolster their outside corner positions: The additions of Tre’Davious White and Darious Williams mark a big upgrade from 2023.

• Kamren Curl joins the safety room: The versatile safety offers an ability to fill multiple roles on the defense while doing so at a high level.

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As a 10-7 playoff team in 2023, the Los Angeles Rams owed much of their success to the strength of the offense that ranked seventh in the league in overall offensive grade (80.2) during the regular season as well as seventh in percentage of offensive scoring drives (41.1%) and eighth in overall points scored (272). 

The offensive potential wasn’t really the question for the Rams coming into 2023, but instead, how the defense would fare after Jalen Ramsey and Bobby Wagner‘s departure — top-three graded players at their respective positions a season prior — in addition to 2022 team sack-leader Leonard Floyd. As expected, there were some struggles, despite certain players like Ernest Jones stepping up, and rookies Kobie Turner and Byron Young becoming immediate contributors in Year 1 with the team.

There was, however, a weakness in the team’s secondary with cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon as well as safeties John Johnson III and Jordan Fuller being the only starters with any real NFL starting experience. Unfortunately, all finished outside the top 50 in defensive grade for their position in 2023 and all have now departed in 2024. 

Quentin Lake, Derion Kendrick and Cobie Durant were all thrust into key starting roles after having previously combining for 827 career defensive snaps prior to the 2023 season. As a result, the team finished with the second-lowest PFF coverage grade (50.0) in the regular season, and those struggles continued into the postseason. The coverage unit allowed the highest completion percentage of wild-card weekend (88.0%), the highest first down/touchdown rate (64.0%) and didn’t force a single incompletion, which ultimately led to a one-and-done playoff experience for the Rams in 2023.

Rams 2023 starting secondary and positional ranks:

The 2024 offseason has indicated a determination to improve upon last year’s coverage unit, signing free agent safety Kamren Curl as well as cornerbacks Tre’Davious White and Darious Williams. 

Curl has been a versatile and key piece of Washington’s defense over the past four seasons, playing a large role in the box and around the line of scrimmage on top of his typical safety duties. In the same way that Curl allowed Washington to rely on him over a second full-time linebacker, the Rams may find similar value in that regard, after utilizing dime personnel at a top 10 rate in 2023 (17.3%), Curl should see plenty of work in the box again, which is where he’s been the most impactful for his NFL career.

While White is coming off a couple of injury-riddled seasons in Buffalo, he’s long been one of the highest-graded coverage corners since entering the league, earning a career 90.1 coverage grade which ranks tied for eighth among qualifying cornerbacks since 2017.

Meanwhile, Williams is coming off a career year in terms of PFF coverage grade (85.3), ranking fourth at his position. Williams was also the second-most valuable cornerback in 2023 according to his 0.89 PFF WAR (wins above replacement).

Rams new starting pieces for 2024 and positional ranks:

The quality of starters that the Rams have added at three separate starting positions marks a significant improvement from where they were last season. With continued development from last year’s top performer Quentin Lake, and depending on what happens in the draft, this group could put themselves in contention as one of the better units in the league. 

Impact on the draft

The Rams hold the 19th overall pick in the NFL draft with a majority of their picks in mock drafts being around the defensive line — especially after  Aaron Donald‘s retirement — or adding to the secondary. While defensive line — either edge or interior — feels more likely now that the team has added significantly to the secondary, it shouldn’t be ruled out completely. 

Iowa’s Cooper DeJean has been a PFF Mock Draft Simulator favorite in this range, and even with the new additions via free agency, DeJean could be the best option available. DeJean is the top-ranked defensive back on the PFF big board after earning elite stable metrics over the past three years, so it may be too difficult to pass on adding to the secondary once again while also considering that White is on just a one-year deal and has had recent injury concerns.

DeJean’s three-year stable metric rankings:

Defensive line is certainly an option at 19th overall as well, with intriguing names like Laiatu Latu, Byron Murphy and Jer’Zhan Newton all in this range. However, the second round also offers plenty of worthy names, including Florida State’s Braden Fiske as the third-ranked interior defensive lineman on the PFF big board or Alabama EDGE Chris Braswell — the fourth ranked edge on the PFF big board. As far as value, targeting secondary in Round 1 as opposed to waiting could be the optimal play as the secondary options in Round 2 become less interesting with Oregon cornerback Khyree Jackson the most likely candidate available and ranking 10th at his position on the PFF big board.

Regardless of whether the Rams continue to address the secondary in the draft, there is no doubt that they are a much-improved unit from last season, and can now pull their weight alongside that high-end offense in 2024.