What Could Stand in Rams' Way as Super Bowl Contenders

Two years ago, the Los Angeles Rams were coming off a 5-12 season. Many believed they were on the verge or at the beginning of a rebuild with the future of Sean McVay in question just over a year following their triumph in the Super Bowl.

However, what has happened in the last two seasons has exemplified a franchise that has built from within, using most of their draft capital to in that period to construct their roster into one of the youngest and brightest in the league.

20 wins later and a deep postseason run that put Super Bowl LIX champion Philadelphia Eagles on the brink in the divisional round, the Rams have quickly inserted themselves into championship contention.

Los Angeles has become a prime example of drafting and developing its talent, with a keener eye toward what the players are good at and not what hurts them.

2024 draftee safety Kamren Kinchens is known to be a ball hawk and has done so since his college days; 2023 draftee wide receiver Puka Nacua was not an elite route runner out of BYU but ball skills and run-after-catch ability made him one of the feared playmakers in the game quickly as a fifth-round pick.

Looking at this year's Rams draft class, it looks to be another group of talents that can play and fill roles quickly. This roster has a great mix of veterans to counterbalance the lack of experience with many key role players with four or less years of experience.

However, the Rams are somewhat of a risky choice to be labeled as Super Bowl contenders. Don’t get me wrong: this is a talented team with a franchise quarterback in Matthew Stafford and few weaknesses that could harm them. However, the quarterback and those weaknesses could cost Los Angeles.

Stafford is entering his age-37 season and has had a history of nagging injuries throughout his career. Jimmy Garoppolo is his backup and I’m not so sure this team can win many games if Stafford were to go down. There is also the added concern that the former No. 1 pick shows a steep decline that hampers the Rams efforts in the early portion of the season.

Other concerns that lie ahead include the lack of competition added to the secondary this offseason with much of the same players returning. There were some inconsistencies in pass coverage last season and it was surprising not to see general manager Les Snead select one in the draft. Starting slow to start the season has also been a big issue with the Rams in past seasons and will need to start hot if they are to reach their ultimate goal.

Los Angeles should be a fun team on paper heading into training camp and while it’s easy to anoint them as contenders, a closer look at the potential pitfalls should be acknowledged as the hype around this begins to increase over the summer.