May 28, 2025; Woodland Hills, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay watches and conducts drills during organized team activities at Rams Practice Facility. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Rams' McVay Has His Eyes on Specific Groups this Preseason

Originally posted on Los Angeles Rams on SI
By Jared Feinberg | Last updated Aug 9, 2025 10:00 AM ET

The Los Angeles Rams will be kicking off their preseason against the Dallas Cowboys Saturday night, as fans will be getting a first look at how the roster may evolve for the 2025 season, with new players to watch and get excited for. The next three weeks provide a fun test for the young talents that will be seeing the field for the first time.

Head coach Sean McVay is the center of it all for the Rams. He will have a couple of position groups he will be keyed in on against Dallas.

McVay mentions RBs and OLBs as position groups to watch

Media and fans alike will have their eyes on a specific position group or players this weekend. McVay will be taking a closer look at all of them. However, two position groups stood out to him for Saturday, starting with the running backs.

“Yeah, I'm looking at them all," McVay said. "I think one of the things you mentioned, I got asked about the runners. I'm looking forward to watching Blake [Corum], watching Jarquez Hunter and Ronnie [Rivers] and those guys run."

The running back room has been under the spotlight this summer with the contract negotiations for Kyren Williams, which were completed for the All-Pro runner this week. Much of the conversation has been centered around Williams and the depth behind him, what role they will have, and how much they will progress in 2025.

Corum and Hunter are expected to be the No. 2 and No. 3 running backs, respectively, while Rivers could be the odd man out. It's a popular room and one with plenty of talent, which is likely why McVay may have a keen eye on the group.

The other position group McVay noted was the outside linebackers, headlined by young star pass rusher Jared Verse and third-year player Byron Young, an underrated defender on Los Angeles' defense. McVay said there is great competition behind the soldified starters.

"Looking forward to seeing our outside linebackers play. Obviously, we know Verse and [Byron Young] ‘BY’ are solidified," McVay said. "There's a lot of great competition behind those guys for a lot of different roles and responsibilities based on the personnel that we're in and that's another spot that I'm looking for.”

Those competitions are outside rush linebackers Keir Thomas, Josaiah Stewart, Brennan Jackson, Nick Hampton, to name a several. It is a young group with plenty of talent, and certainly a position group I will enjoy reviewing on the coaches' film over the weekend.

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

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