Rams' 2021 Rookie Class Midseason Breakdown

How have each member of the Rams' 2021 rookie class fared thus far?

Author:
Nicholas Cothrel
Publish date:
Nov 19, 2021 1:45 PM EST

The Los Angeles Rams selected nine players in the 2021 NFL Draft. Now, after 10 weeks of play in the books, it's time to assess how each rookie has fared thus far.

While some have stepped into starting roles, others as depth pieces and everything in between, here is our midseason rookie breakdown as the Rams serve their Week 11 bye.

WR Tutu Atwell

Initially, it was thought that Atwell would serve as the Rams' deep threat to take that top off opposing defenses. However, his contributions as a pass-catcher did not evolve prior to suffering a season-ending shoulder injury. Atwell logged 15 kick and punt returns collectively, serving as the deep man on special teams. Atwell is on injured reserve and will not play the rest of his rookie season.

LB Ernest Jones

Jones primarily served as a depth piece for the first month and a half of the season. Meanwhile, once the Rams sent linebacker Kenny Young to the Denver Broncos, Jones stepped into a significant role, starting in two of the last three games. Jones kickstarted things into gear in his first NFL start, registering nine tackles, one TFL, 0.5 sack, two quarterback hits, one interception and one pass breakup. Jones has played over 80% of the team's defensive snaps in two of the last three weeks.

DT Bobby Brown III

Brown has mainly been inactive on gamedays to begin his rookie season. However, as a result of injuries to the interior of the Rams' defensive line, Brown has been active of late, while still waiting to record any stats to his NFL resume.

CB Robert Rochell

After kickstarting his rookie campaign as a depth option, Rochell got his number called upon following the three-week injury to Darious Williams. Since then, Rochell has started five games, serving as a key piece to the Rams' secondary. Rochell has registered 14 tackles, one interception and four pass breakups. His length and physicality has positioned him well to be a mainstay at cornerback for the Rams.

WR/TE Jacob Harris

The Rams' plan for Harris when they selected him out of UCF was to convert the college wide receiver into a tight end. However, as injuries began to mount at wide receiver and DeSean Jackson requested a trade or to be waived, the Rams converted Harris back to a wide receiver. Harris has been sidelined for the year after tearing his ACL and MCL against the Titans in Week 9. Harris had been strictly a special teams player through the first nine weeks.

DE Earnest Brown

Brown did not make the initial 53-man roster, but was signed to the Rams' practice squad, where he has spent the entire season up to this point.

RB Jake Funk

Funk broke training camp as the Rams' No. 3 running back and one of the team's kick returners who would mix in as the deep man. Funk suffered a torn hamstring, landing him on season-ending injured reserve in Week 6. Prior to going down with an injury, Funk saw just one rushing attempt, while returning four kicks for an average of 22 yards per attempt.

WR Ben Skowronek

The Rams' wide receiver group has been decimated by injuries. As a result, Skowronek has seen a more extensive look in recent weeks, playing 76% of the snaps in Week 10. Skowronek's targets have ultimately been limited due to being buried on the depth chart over the first half of the season, as he's logged just four grabs for 38 yards. Skowronek has contributed on special teams more than anything throughout his rookie campaign.

OLB Chris Garrett

Garrett was a preseason standout, earning himself a spot on the 53-man roster. Since making the team, Garrett has predominately been inactive on gamedays, not being much of a contributor at this stage in his young career.

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