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Dec 16, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Atlanta Falcons linebacker Nate Landman (53) celebrates after the Falcons sacked Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Desmond Ridder (10) in the end zone during the second quarter at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Rams' Linebackers Play Key Role in 2025

Originally posted on Los Angeles Rams on SI
By Jared Feinberg | Last updated Aug 2, 2025 9:00 AM ET

For a team like the Los Angeles Rams, there are very few holes on a roster that is seemingly prepped for a run at a championship after going deep into the postseason last year and having won 20 games in the last two years. It's a young team filled with great veteran talent.

However, one position group that has come into question this offseason will play a significant role in their success on a unit that displays some of the best young defensive talents in the game.

Rams linebackers are the team's most important position group

The Rams are good, very good in fact. One of the biggest reasons for their excitement is a defensive line with some of the best young players at their respective positions. Defensive Rookie of the Year pass rusher Jared Verse is on the verge of being one of the five best players at what he does, while Kobie Turner is on track to become a top player in the interior in his regard.

Despite a talented defensive front, the linebacker room falls short of high-end talent, for the moment. Sure, there are some young players in the room, such as Omar Speights, a 2024 undrafted free agent, fifth-round selection Pooh Paul, and 2025 undrafted free agent Shaun Dolac. Yet, there are some sufficient talents in Nate Landman and Troy Reeder.

I haven't been overly impressed with the Rams' linebacker corps in the last 12-24 months, and it is a group that some are right to consider uneasy with the lack of true established talents in the room. This year is a critical one for the position, and someone needs to emerge as "the guy."

In training camp, the linebackers have stood out to head coach Sean McVay, who said they have been provided great clarity by the way of position coach Greg Williams, aka 'G-Money.' He also mentioned the progress that Speights has had in his second camp.

"Omar Speights has been outstanding. You can see he's really taken leaps in his second year," McVay said. "He has really good ownership of what we're trying to get done."

McVay also said that other players like Reeder, Dolac, Tony Fields II, and Eli Neal have done 'good stuff' in camp to this point. "I think that's a really good group. I really think those guys that have played some football for us, you feel their presence, their ownership and that's exactly what we're looking for," McVay said.

Landman spoke about his teammates and Speights, with whom he has a close friendship off the field. He believes that the other linebackers, including himself, have become close-knit.

"I think as a whole unit, we're super close-knit, we hang out outside just the [meeting] room. We're having lunch together, we're watching film together," Landman said. "We're roommates here while we're in camp. That shared grind that we're in allows us to have that close-knit group.”

All of this to say, this position group won't make or break Los Angeles as a potential NFC championship (or higher) contender. It does become an important piece to the puzzle that McVay, defensive coordinator Chris Shula, Williams, and the rest of the linebackers are hoping to fill.

If this group emerges as a quality unit, it gives the Rams another boost to a defense with the potential to be a top-five group in the entire league.

This article first appeared on Los Angeles Rams on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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