After their 2022 season was derailed by injuries and other factors, the Los Angeles Rams' rebound in 2023 caught many off guard.
Much of the Rams' success owes to some huge breakout performances across the roster, particularly from their outstanding rookie class. Puka Nacua broke records for a rookie receiver, while Kobie Turner, Byron Young and Steve Avila became key contributors as well. Outside of the rookie class, players such as Kyren Williams stepped up in a big way.
As L.A. looks to build on a successful season, it will no doubt look for similar breakout performances when the 2024 campaign rolls around. In regards to who could break out, Pro Football Focus believes that defensive back Quentin Lake is a prime candidate to do so.
"Lake didn’t emerge on the Rams defense as a consistent contributor until about Week 6 of his second year in the league, where he began fulfilling the nickel corner duties for the defense," PFF wrote. "Lake struggled throughout this first year as a starter but eventually started to play better and increase his playing time, ultimately leading to a strong 70.0 overall PFF grade, 77.2 PFF run-defense grade and 66.6 PFF coverage grade, including the playoffs. The 2022 sixth-round pick appeared to perform well enough to potentially hold down that starting job for 2024."
A 2022 sixth-round pick out of UCLA, Lake did indeed take quite a while to break into the lineup, as he didn't start one game until Week 9 of this season. Even once he did get some starting action, he's still working his way into the role full-time.
Through his first two seasons, Lake has recorded 63 total tackles and seven passes defended. His underlying statistics are also quite solid, and if he can keep up his high level of play, it wouldn't be surprising to see him take on a larger role in 2024.
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