Former Bruin Quentin Lake Gets Help on His Defense

The UCLA alum and Los Angeles Rams defense will see new faces in the huddle.

Jan 13, 2025; Glendale, AZ, USA; Los Angeles Rams safety Quentin Lake (37) reacts during the second half against the Minnesota Vikings in an NFC wild card game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The next 10 months will be pivotal for UCLA's Quentin Lake. Lake is a team captain and primary defensive play caller. He is also in the last year of his contract.

There are many options for Lake in the future, including re-signing with the Los Angeles Rams or following his defensive coordinator, Chris Shula, to his expected new head coaching job after 2025.

Whatever options come about and how much money a team may be willing to pay him will come down to how well he plays and how well the Rams' defense does in 2025.

Lake already has a dominant defensive line and a bunch of pieces in the secondary, but the Rams went out of their way to address several needs in an NFL Draft class that Sports Illustrated's Gilberto Manzano grades as a "C."

Here's the Rams' 2025 draft class:

Round 2 (46): Terrance Ferguson, Oregon

Round 3 (90): Josaiah Stewart, Michigan

Round 4 (117): Jarquez Hunter, Auburn

Round 5 (148): Ty Hamilton, Ohio State

Round 5: (172): Chris Paul Jr., Ole Miss

Round 7 (242): Konata Mumpfield, Pittsburgh

"The Rams’ best addition from the draft was gaining the Falcons’ 2026 first-round pick," Manzano wrote. "Los Angeles didn’t do much to address a few holes to close the gap on the top teams in the NFC. Sure, the Rams are still good enough to win the NFC West, but they have concerns at cornerback and linebacker—and they watched the Eagles take Jihaad Campbell at No. 31."

The Rams did address the linebacker position with Chris Paul Jr, another aggressive, articulate, hard tackling defender.

Ty Hamilton is a player who is going to shoot gaps and break things up in the backfield.

Josaiah Stewart is an aggressive pass rusher with an endless motor.

Pro Football Focus shared its thoughts on Hamilton and Paul.

"The fourth member of Ohio State’s championship defensive line to be selected, Ty Hamilton’s grading isn’t on the level of his counterparts," wrote PFF. "However, he is one of the best tacklers at the defensive tackle position, only missing 7% of his tackles this past season.

"Paul was the No. 83 prospect on the PFF Big Board, making this a great value pick for the Rams. He put together a well-rounded season for Ole Miss, finishing with an 84.6 PFF run-defense grade and an 84.0 pass-rush grade."

Big-time names for Lake to use.

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