Rams Draft Review: Ty Hamilton Provides Depth in Trenches

NFL teams running 3-4 base defenses require an ample amount of depth on their defensive front. The Los Angeles Rams were aware of this during the offseason following the departure of Bobby Brown III and needed to add more talent to the room.

While the interior depth for the Rams is still average despite signing Poona Ford in free agency, they added another young player to the group with the selection of Ohio State defensive lineman Ty Hamilton. It is yet another addition to an otherwise youthful Los Angeles defense that is only going to continue to improve from the 2024 season.

Hamilton comes into the NFL as a former three-star recruit and room to grow as a player despite a limited ceiling. His brother, DaVon, is a defensive lineman with the Jacksonville Jaguars and has become a critical depth piece on their interior defensive line. Ty is hoping to do the same but there will be some road blocks to get through as he grows into his true form.

The former Ohio State starter lacks the length to create consistent extension for potential stack-peek-shed opportunities when asked to maintain the point of attack one-on-one. There were plenty of instances on the All-22 film that suggested struggles in shedding against blockers duo to the arm size. His flaws at the line of scrimmage come from this and a lack of discipline that is required for a player with his average wingspan.

While there is room to grow, Hamilton is an average pass rusher with not a lot of variety, if any, to his rushing attack. He must improve his tempo and consistency in maintaining a good upper and lower-half balance to press forward in his charges. Furthermore, Hamilton has more room to add to his frame and he doesn't possess high-end first-step quickness, lateral movements, and anchoring ability to create stalemates.

Now, I'm not attempting to paint a negative picture and this may seem like a non-traditional way of presenting a film review. It is important to make sure you have the understanding of what he needs to grow on first before acknowledging what he can do well. There is plenty on Hamilton's film that presents a picture of what he can become at the next level.

Hamilton is an impressively twitchy lineman who knows how to convert speed-to-power. It takes him a while to build up his energy but when he unleashes, it can be both violent and disruptive as a pass rusher. Below, you see his initial charge fails but then uses his built-in energy to explode into the blocker's chest, pushing him into the lap of the Iowa Hawkeyes quarterback and securing a strip-sack.