• WR Puka Nacua has done it all: The fifth-round pick, if he plays in Week 18, is on track to break multiple rookie receiving records.
• Kobie Turner is a pleasant surprise on the inside: His 45 pressures are the 17th most at the position, and his 80.2 pass-rush grade ranks 11th.
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Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes
The Los Angeles Rams exceeded all expectations in 2023. After a poor 2022 season that ended with a 5-12 record — the franchise's worst since 2016 — the need for an overhaul was clear. However, without a first-round pick and limited cap space, adding to an already depleted roster was a challenge.
With one week left of the regular season, the Rams have secured a postseason berth and gotten major contributions from an excellent rookie class. The highlight of the group is wide receiver Puka Nacua, but the majority of the class has impressed.
Round 2 (No. 36 overall): G Steve Avila, TCU
Avila stepped into the chaos that was the Rams' offensive line with the assurance that he’d be a day-one starter due to a lack of talent around him. That projection materialized, and the former second-round pick has been a solid addition at left guard. He has played 100% of the team’s offensive snaps, and earned a 59.9 overall grade in 2023 — the seventh-highest mark among all rookie offensive linemen this season.
Of the 71 guards who have played more than 400 snaps this season, he ranks 26th in pressure rate allowed (5.1%). And since Week 9, Aliva has a 79.4 pass-blocking grade, ranking sixth at the position.
Round 3 (No. 77 overall): EDGE Byron Young, Tennessee
The Rams sacked opposing quarterbacks just 38 times last season and pressured them at the third-lowest rate in the NFL. It was clear they needed help on the edge, and there was hope that Byron Young could make an impact in his rookie season. The Rams nailed it again. Young has 46 pressures on the season, the fourth most among all rookies and the 38th most among all edge rushers — in the same ballpark as DeMarcus Lawrence, Cameron Jordan and Kayvon Thibodeaux.
Young’s reach and impact extend beyond the world of pass rushing, though. His 18 stops as a run defender are the 22nd most among all edge defenders this season, and he boasts a 68.9 run-defense grade since Week 13.
Round 3 (No. 89 overall): DI Kobie Turner, Wake Forest
Within 13 picks, the Rams accomplished the almost impossible task of revamping their defensive line. Young provides the edge threat, and Turner has quietly been just as effective, if not more, on the inside. Turner’s 84.6 overall grade ranks eighth among interior defenders this season and 22nd among all defensive linemen.
Turner has been one of the most effective interior pass rushers in the NFL this season, too. His 45 pressures are the 17th most at the position, and his 80.2 pass-rush grade ranks 11th. Turner has more pressures and sacks than Eagles rookie first-round pick Jalen Carter, and since Week 12, Turner has the second-most pressures among all NFL interior defenders — including a 10-pressure outing against the Giants in Week 17.
Round 4 (No. 128 overall): QB Stetson Bennett, Georgia
Bennett hasn’t seen any action despite being a surprise selection in the fourth round. He’s been on the reserve/non-football illness list since the start of the season.
Round 5 (No. 161 overall): LB Nick Hampton, Appalachian State
Hampton spent the first month of the season primarily playing special teams but became a rotational defensive lineman for a stretch in the second half of the campaign, earning a solid 70.0 overall grade through six games. However, he has played only 52 snaps on defense this year.
Round 5 (No. 174 overall): OT Warren McClendon, Georgia
McClendon was the second of the Rams’ four fifth-round picks in 2023, and his playing time has been limited to just six snaps, all coming in Week 5. He could carve out a bigger role next season.
Round 5 (No. 175 overall): TE Davis Allen, Clemson
Up until Week 14, Allen had played more than 10 snaps in a game just once for the Rams. But he flashed some potential with an impressive performance against the Baltimore Ravens, catching four of his five targets for 50 yards and a touchdown. He earned a 72.6 receiving grade for that effort while deputizing for the injured Tyler Higbee. Since Higbee’s return, Allen has remained in a backup role.
Round 5 (No. 177 overall): WR Puka Nacua, BYU
Wow. Puka Nacua has done nothing but set records in his rookie season. The fifth-round pick from BYU has 101 receptions for 1,445 receiving yards through 16 games. He needs four catches in Week 18 to break Jaylen Waddle’s record for most receptions in a rookie season, and 29 yards to break the single-season receiving yards record for a rookie set by Bill Groman in 1960.
Nacua has been a revelation in the Rams' offense. His 88.2 grade ranks 10th among all receivers this season, and he places fourth in receiving yards. Nacua also has seven games with at least an 80.0 PFF grade.
Round 6 (No. 182 overall): CB Tre Tomlinson, TCU
Tomlison’s impact has been understandably muted in his rookie season. The sixth-round pick has been restricted to just 37 snaps.
Round 6 (No. 189 overall): EDGE Ochaun Mathis, Nebraska
Mathis is another rookie who hasn’t seen much playing time for the Rams this season. The edge defender out of Nebraska played a season-high 22 snaps in a Week 12 blowout win over the Cardinals.
Round 6 (No. 215 overall): RB Zach Evans, Ole Miss
Considering where we thought the Rams' backfield stood before the season, it’s disappointing that Zach Evans couldn’t carve out a role in the offense in 2023. Evans has just eight carries for 16 yards on the season and has watched from the sideline as Kyren Williams has turned into the team's workhorse at running back.
Round 7 (No. 223 overall): P Ethan Evans, Wingate
Evans has impressed on special teams for the Rams. The former Wingate punter has averaged 49.3 yards per punt, the ninth-best mark among all punters, and his 73.0 punting grade ranks 12th.
Round 7 (No. 234 overall): S Jason Taylor II, Oklahoma State
Taylor has suited up just once for the Rams this season, back in Week 12 in a blowout win over the Cardinals. He registered a 43.4 overall grade.
Round 7 (No. 259 overall): DI Desjuan Johnson, Toledo
The 2023 Mr. Irrelevant, Desjuan Johnson hasn’t made the same impact as Brock Purdy, the previous year’s Mr. Irrelevant, but he has featured as a rotational defender for the Rams this season. Johnson has recorded an impressive 67.8 run-defense grade — albeit on only 30 snaps against the run.
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