The Los Angeles Rams made one of the biggest jumps of any team in the NFL in the best NFL teams with talent under 25. After being ranked by ESPN last year at No. 32, dead last, the Rams will now enter the season in this category at No. 8.
ESPN writer Aaron Schatz came to this conclusion after the tremendous 2023 class put their talent on display in their rookie season, the other young talented players on their roster, and this year’s rookie class specifically their first two picks.
“The Rams would have ranked dead last in 2023 for under-25 talent,” said Schatz. “Then they got outstanding contributions from lower-round rookies in 2023; our expectations are way up when it comes to the future values of Nacua and Young. Both players are still just 23, and Nacua in particular now looks like one of the top 10 young players in the NFL, setting rookie records in receptions (105) and receiving yards (1,486). Last year’s second-round pick, Avila, who will move from guard to center this season, had an 89.2% pass block win rate and allowed only two sacks in 1,094 snaps. The Rams also got a surprising second-year breakout from running back Kyren Williams. He ran for 1,144 yards on 228 carries.”
“Then there are this year’s draft picks. The Rams finally took a player in the first round in 23-year-old edge rusher Jared Verse, and they got a second-round defensive end to play next to him (24-year-old Braden Fiske). Other Rams starters under 25 include nose tackle Bobby Brown III and linebacker Ernest Jones IV.”
The Rams not only have the potential to be among the best teams in the league, but that could be the case for the next half-decade to a decade. Many of the Rams’ best players are younger than 30 and could take this organization to heights it has reached only twice thus far.
This group includes All-Pro teammates Puka Nacua and Kyren Williams and defensive tackle Kobie Turner. These three have had a positive impact on the game; the only question now is whether they can elevate their game to the next level so that L.A. could be among the elites in the NFL.
All eyes will be on these three players like no other, and the same could be said for L.A.’s first two picks in the 2024 NFL Draft: edge rusher Jared Verse and defensive tackle Braden Fikse. These two college teammates were deadly at Florida State, and Les Snead hopes that remains true in the Royal Blue and Sol.
The Rams can potentially build something truly special off their talented young stars.
