The Reinforcements have Arrived for the Rams' Defensive Line

Josaiah Stewart has had a phenomenal camp and preseason so far, while Brennan Jackson and Desjuan Johnson were forces that could not be handled by the Chargers. While those three men look to finalize their places on the roster, two other interior defenders, Ty Hamilton and Tyler Davis have caught the eye of defensive coordinator Chris Shula.

Shula spoke on Hamilton and Davis on Wednesday

Tyler Davis has been a perpetual force this year, displaying a massive stride in improvement in training camp from his year one production. While his play has been excellent, it's his leadership that has gained him favor with the room and the coaching staff.

A Clemson-trained defensive lineman, Davis has the foundation to be great and is building his resume on top of it.

“We really liked him and trusted him last year," stated Davis. "[Defensive Line Coach/Run Game Coordinator] Giff [Smith] always handles the rotations in games and I just think of him like a starter. If I see him out there, I never even think twice about it and I felt that way last year. I think it was more of the level of play and how he did it and how he played the run, how he was able to hit blocks and play combination blocks and understand the nuances.

"I think this year what he's done is he's kind of upped his level of communication. [Defensive End] Kobie Turner's obviously the leader, the guy communicating up front. We put a lot of on those guys where with the front adjustments, we don't have our linebackers trying to align those guys. Those guys align themselves and he's taken a step in that direction where if he's in and Kobie's not in, he's the guy that they're all looking to communicate.”

In the meantime, Hamilton has flashed the potential, shooting into gaps at rapid speed. For Hamilton, it's about learning the nuances of the professional game.

“He's just continuing to get better and better, getting more comfortable," stated Shula. "We put a lot on those guys as far as adjusting where you come from the college game and a lot of those are gun offenses, spread out offenses. You're really just playing a three technique, a shade or a two-high where he's playing a lot more different techniques, different run schemes, under center gap schemes. There's a lot of stuff that goes into it so he's just continuing to get better and better every single day. He's a guy that puts his head down and goes to work every single day and you see that those guys have really seen the potential in him and taken him under their wing.”