Rams Coaching Staff Gives Underrated Defender Vote of Confidence

The biggest surprise in the defensive secondary this season has been Josh Wallace. The Michigan man impressed in training camp and throughout preseason, becoming a favorite among the coaching staff due to his physicality, disciplined play, and versatility.

In the modern game, we're seeing hybrid players become the norm, especially on defense in order to counter the various attacks offenses throw at them.

The modern defensive back must be able to cover, blitz, attack the line of scrimmage, tackle, and be fast enough to bail out of deceptive formations. For Josh Wallace, he's becoming that complete player that the Rams need to maintain not only their defensive integrity but also air superiority once they decide to attack the line of scrimmage heavily.

McVay Clarifies the Position Wallace Plays

Sean McVay was asked on Tuesday whether Wallace is a corner or a safety.

Jul 23, 2025; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams cornerback Josh Wallace (30) during training camp at Loyola Marymount University. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

“He's all of the above," stated McVay. That's part of what makes him valuable is he can play corner, he can play the slot position, he can play safety. You saw him play safety in the preseason. He's a guy that's going to be in three of our four phases on special teams. One of those guys that just came in mature beyond his years as a rookie last year.

He came from obviously a great program, was a guy that transferred up and I just love what he's about and he provides a ton of value because of how smart he is. The game makes sense to him. He's really valuable as that ninth DB spot for us where it's unique because [Safety] Quentin Lake plays some different positions, not exclusive to safety so to be able to have somebody like him is really cool to be able to fill out that room.”

Not only that, we've also seen tremendous versatility from both Jaylen McCollough and Kam Curl, stemming from last season, giving defensive coordinator Chris Shula four unique pieces that he is able to deploy at various positions at various times to cause unpredictable havoc.

The Rams kept nine defensive backs as a part of their initial 53-man roster. Darious Williams, Ahkello Witherspoon, Cobie Durant, Emmanuel Forbes Jr, Kam Curl, Kamren Kinchens, Jaylen McCollough, Quentin Lake, and Wallace all made the cut. Let's see how things play out.

Ensure you follow on X (Twitter) @RamsInsideronSI and @BrockVierra and never miss another Rams news story.

Please let us know your thoughts when you like our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE