Rams Rookie Defender Continues To Impact Depth Chart

The Los Angeles Rams have a hard working, promising talent in UDFA star. What else can he provide?

Aug 23, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay during the second half against the Cleveland Browns at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Rams during the McVay era have developed a simple recipe for success. Use their top draft picks as trade capital for pillars on both offense and defense, supplementing the roster with sound draft selections and smart UDFA pickups.

While the concept is simple, the implementation is difficult due to the requirement of hitting on day two and day three picks, with the likelyhood of such a pick becoming an NFL starter decreasing with each passing selection.

UDFAs are even harder because we're talking about a player every NFL team skipped over multiple times, while almost 300 of their peers were selected. Thus, it makes sense that the Rams kept only one undrafted free agent on their 53-man roster. However, he might be the Rams' best rookie defender after an inspired training camp and preseason.

The Burgeoning Linebacker

Shaun Dolac, a UDFA linebacker from Buffalo, came in and immediately made an impact in multiple phases of the game. After multiple stress tests, which included an extended run over the Rams' first two preseason games with him being named defensive signal caller for the game against the Chargers, the Rams decided to keep him on their roster while saying goodbye to fifth-round linebacker Pooh Paul Jr.

Jun 3, 2025; Woodland Hills, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams linebacker Shaun Dolac (56) during organized team activities at Rams Practice Facility. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula spoke about the decision.

“It was really early on," stated Shula. "He picked it up very fast. He can process, he thinks, he runs to the ball, he can tackle and then in the preseason games he did an excellent job as well. He's just been a consistent guy from the jump and a guy that fits in well here. Obviously, [he] helps on special teams and if he had to play on defense, we wouldn't have any hesitation at all.”

Sean McVay Stamp of Approval

“I think there are a lot of guys that you could talk about but I think [Inside Linebacker] Shaun Dolac is a guy that personifies (how) we are going to evaluate who we think are the best players and it doesn't matter whether you were drafted or what your salary is," stated McVay. "And it doesn't mean that we make all the right decisions, but we try to be able to have honest evaluations and do what's best for the collective."

Aug 14, 2025; Carson, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay watches during a joint practice against the Los Angeles Rams at the Dignity Health Sports Park. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

"I think he's a great example. I don't know if I'd say I was shocked because there was a lot of appreciation for him coming in as an undrafted free agent. I think it's a good representation of everything is going to be earned and he was a guy that earned a spot. There are a lot of examples. I was asked about Xavier Smith earlier. You look at a guy like [Offensive Lineman] Alaric Jackson that has earned the right to get paid. He came in as an undrafted free agent a handful of years ago and now he's a premier starting left tackle in this league. There are a lot of cool examples. I really love this team and love the makeup of it.”

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