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USA Today
7 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Rams training camp preview: Will LA's secondary be a strength or weakness?
Depth isn't a concern but top-end talent might be lacking in LA's secondary The Los Angeles Rams' secondary got off to a terrible start last season but by the end of the year, it was excelling against even the top receivers in the league – including Justin Jefferson and A.J. Brown in the postseason. That turnaround in coverage helped the Rams make a run in the playoffs but they can't afford to get off to such a slow start in 2025. With many of the same defensive backs on the roster still, the Rams are counting on their incumbent starters to take positive steps this season. The question is, will they? From Darious Williams and Ahkello Witherspoon at cornerback to Kamren Curl and Kamren Kinchens at safety, the Rams have talent in the secondary. They just need to play better as a cohesive unit. Here's a look at how the secondary stands with training camp getting underway. Roster locks All six of these players are going to make the team and they'll all play major roles on defense, too. Williams, Witherspoon and Durant are the top pure cornerbacks, but Lake is as versatile as anyone and is essentially a slot cornerback who can also play safety. Curl and Kinchens gave the Rams a dynamic new safety tandem last season in their first year with the team, as Kinchens tied for the team lead with four interceptions. Kinchens should see even more playing time in Year 2 now that he's gained some comfort on defense. Likely to make it McCollough is almost certain to make the 53-man roster but as a former undrafted rookie, the Rams don't have big financial ties to him. Plus, he needs to show that his strong rookie season in 2024 wasn't a fluke after picking off four passes, returning one for a touchdown. He's a great backup to have on the roster with his ability to play deep or cover the slot. On the bubble This is where things get very complicated and unpredictable. The Rams are likely to keep at least eight defensive backs, potentially even going as high as 10 DBs. That means anywhere from one to three of the players listed here will make the 53-man roster. All of them likely breathed a sigh of relief when the Rams chose not to trade for Jalen Ramsey or Jaire Alexander, giving them a much better shot to make the team. Now the real work begins in training camp as they attempt to show the coaching staff that they deserve to stick around into September. Forbes is perhaps the most intriguing name on the list because of his pedigree of being a former first-round pick. Kendrick missed all of 2024 with a torn ACL but he's back this year and attempting to reclaim a starting spot in the secondary. Dixon-Williams and Valcarcel are two undrafted rookies with a lot to prove and given the Rams' knack for finding talented safeties late in the draft or in free agency, one of them could be the next gem. Position battle to watch If not for Lake, these three players would likely be the top cornerbacks in nickel packages. However, Lake's ability to play in the slot complicates things for Williams, Witherspoon and Durant. Lake plays every snap, which means Williams, Witherspoon and Durant could be competing for the two outside cornerback spots. The Rams will rotate their corners a bit depending on the opponent and individual matchup, but only two of them are likely to be full-time players. That competition could be sorted out in training camp. Potential sleeper While not a sleeper by name as a former first-rounder, Forbes is someone to watch. He barely played after being claimed by the Rams last season but with a full offseason of training in Los Angeles, his stock is on the rise. He received high praise from his coaches during the offseason workout program, too, even bulking up this spring in an attempt to get better in his third NFL season. It's not out of the question for him to play a lot of snaps for the Rams this season. Follow Rams Wire on X, Facebook and Threads for more coverage!
USA Today
04-06-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Rams safety Kamren Kinchens ranked inside the top-32 by PFF
Rams safety Kamren Kinchens ranked inside the top-32 by PFF The Los Angeles Rams don't have a star-studded secondary anymore. Instead, the team is full of veterans and unsung heroes who've held down the fort in recent years. One of those players is 2024 third-round safety Kamren Kinchens. He started just four games in 2024 but saw more and more action as a rookie as the season progressed, including a Wild Card round start. Kinchens finished the year with 57 combined tackles, one fumble recovery and one interception for a touchdown. His limited time on the field was good enough to earn him the No. 20 spot in Pro Football Focus' safety rankings heading into the 2025 NFL season. "It took some time for the rookie Kinchens to break into the Rams' lineup. He played just 83 snaps over the first seven weeks in 2024 but soon put together multiple breakout performances, recording two of the top-40 safety performances of the season," PFF's Zoltán Buday wrote. "Those were a 92.6 PFF overall grade in Week 11 and an 87.8 PFF overall grade in Week 9." Kinchens should begin the season as a starter alongside Kam Curl, and he'll be tasked with bolstering a downtrodden secondary unit that finished near the bottom of the NFL in 2024 and didn't add any stars during the offseason or the draft.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Rams 2nd-year defender highlighted as LA's most underappreciated player
Kamren Kinchens had to wait a while to hear his name called during the 2024 NFL Draft. By the time he was selected, 98 players had already come off the board. His stock had slipped, not because of production or character, but because of a stopwatch. A 4.65 40-yard dash at the combine knocked the Miami safety down draft boards, and by the end of Round 3, the Los Angeles Rams were happy to take the gamble. It didn't take long for that bet to pay off. Advertisement Gennaro Filice recently named Kinchens as the Rams' most underappreciated player heading into the 2025 season, a nod to a debut campaign that flew under the national radar but didn't go unnoticed by opposing quarterbacks. It's the kind of recognition that suggests bigger things might be on the way. Blame the Underwear Olympics. Shoddy athletic testing at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine depressed the safety's draft stock, allowing the Rams to scoop him up with the penultimate pick of Round 3. But the 4.65 40-yard dash didn't prevent the rookie from picking off four passes -- and taking one 103 yards to the house. An instinctive ballhawk who grabbed 11 interceptions in his final two collegiate campaigns at Miami, Kinchens is further proof that play speed transfers quite nicely to the NFL. After all, Ed Reed ran a 4.57 40 in Indy, and he might be the greatest center fielder in league history. It was an offseason that saw Los Angeles reload on both sides of the ball and Kinchens quietly emerged as one of the most impactful rookies on the roster last year. He finished the 2024 season with 57 tackles, four interceptions, six pass deflections, one forced fumble, one recovery, and a highlight-reel 103-yard pick-six that changed the course of a midseason win. Instincts. Timing. Ball skills. The traits that made him a college standout translated immediately, even if the pre-draft narrative suggested otherwise. His speed on tape never matched his time in Indy, and in today's NFL where anticipation and positioning matter more than straight-line speed, Kinchens fits right in. Advertisement Kinchens may not have turned heads under the lights of the combine, but put him in pads on Sundays and the story changes. The Rams found themselves a steal, and he's just getting started. Follow Rams Wire on X, Facebook and Threads for more coverage! This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Rams DB Kamren Kinchens named LA's most underappreciated defender
USA Today
23-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Rams 2nd-year defender highlighted as LA's most underappreciated player
Rams 2nd-year defender highlighted as LA's most underappreciated player Kamren Kinchens has already proved he can be one of the top playmaking safeties in the NFL Kamren Kinchens had to wait a while to hear his name called during the 2024 NFL Draft. By the time he was selected, 98 players had already come off the board. His stock had slipped, not because of production or character, but because of a stopwatch. A 4.65 40-yard dash at the combine knocked the Miami safety down draft boards, and by the end of Round 3, the Los Angeles Rams were happy to take the gamble. It didn't take long for that bet to pay off. Gennaro Filice recently named Kinchens as the Rams' most underappreciated player heading into the 2025 season, a nod to a debut campaign that flew under the national radar but didn't go unnoticed by opposing quarterbacks. It's the kind of recognition that suggests bigger things might be on the way. Blame the Underwear Olympics. Shoddy athletic testing at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine depressed the safety's draft stock, allowing the Rams to scoop him up with the penultimate pick of Round 3. But the 4.65 40-yard dash didn't prevent the rookie from picking off four passes -- and taking one 103 yards to the house. An instinctive ballhawk who grabbed 11 interceptions in his final two collegiate campaigns at Miami, Kinchens is further proof that play speed transfers quite nicely to the NFL. After all, Ed Reed ran a 4.57 40 in Indy, and he might be the greatest center fielder in league history. It was an offseason that saw Los Angeles reload on both sides of the ball and Kinchens quietly emerged as one of the most impactful rookies on the roster last year. He finished the 2024 season with 57 tackles, four interceptions, six pass deflections, one forced fumble, one recovery, and a highlight-reel 103-yard pick-six that changed the course of a midseason win. Instincts. Timing. Ball skills. The traits that made him a college standout translated immediately, even if the pre-draft narrative suggested otherwise. His speed on tape never matched his time in Indy, and in today's NFL where anticipation and positioning matter more than straight-line speed, Kinchens fits right in. Kinchens may not have turned heads under the lights of the combine, but put him in pads on Sundays and the story changes. The Rams found themselves a steal, and he's just getting started. Follow Rams Wire on X, Facebook and Threads for more coverage!
