The Los Angeles Rams substantially revamped their defense after Aaron Donald’s retirement. The changes were made in free agency and the 2024 NFL Draft.
The new-look Rams defense may feature seven or eight starters who are rookies and/or new acquisitions.
The Defensive Secondary Has Undergone A Near Complete Overhaul
The table below shows that new faces will likely comprise most of the 2024 starting lineup in the Rams’ secondary. The new faces are juxtaposed with the defensive backs who started for the Rams last season.
| 2023 Secondary Starters | 2024 Secondary Starters |
| Ahkello Witherspoon | Tre’Davious White |
| John Johnson III | Kamren Curl |
| Jordan Fuller | Russ Yeast |
| Cobie Durant | Darious Williams |
The projected 2024 starting lineup comes courtesy of Ourlads and Turf Show Times.
The Rams acquired Tre’Davious White, Kamren Curl, and Darious White during free agency in the 2024 off-season. White played with Buffalo last year. Curl and White played last year with Washington and Jacksonville, respectively. The Rams selected Yeast in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft, and, after starting in nine games last year, he is returning for his third season.
Quentin Lake, Cobie Durant, and Kamren Kinchens are also likely to see substantial playing time in the defensive backfield. (Yes, the Rams have two Kam’s in their secondary.) Lake is returning for his third year with the Rams. He started four games last season. Durant is also returning for his third season, after starting nine games last year. The Rams selected Kinchens in the third round. He was a ball hawk at the University of Miami, snagging eleven interceptions.
Rookies Are Likely to Play a Prominent Role Along the Los Angeles Rams Front Seven in 2024
Here are the projected 2024 starting lineups for the Rams front seven, side-by-side with the 2023 starters:
| 2023 Defensive Line Starters | 2024 Defensive Line Starters |
| Aaron Donald | Braden Fiske |
| Kobie Turner | Kobie Turner |
| Jonah Williams | Bobby Brown III |
| 2023 LB Starters | 2024 LB Starters |
| Michael Hoecht | Jared Verse |
| Christian Rozeboom | Christian Rozeboom |
| Ernest Jones IV | Ernest Jones IV |
| Byron Young | Byron Young |
Jared Verse and Braden Fiske were teammates on Florida State’s strong defense last year in Tallahassee. Verse was the Rams first-round pick and Fiske was the second-round pick. They are both projected to make an immediate impact on the Rams defense.
Michael Hoecht, who started in all of the Rams games last year, and who is returning for his fourth season with the team, will likely see considerable playing time in 2024, regardless of whether he starts.
The Rams were very active in the wake of Aaron Donald’s retirement. The defense has been substantially revamped and will have quite a different look in 2024.
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