CB Dont'e Deayon Made Strong Impression on Sean McVay in Season Debut
The Los Angeles Rams began the season with limited depth at cornerback and following an ankle injury to Darious Williams, they've been put in a position to rely on less experienced players to contribute.
Cornerback Dont'e Deayon, who started the year on the practice squad, was brought up for the Rams' Week 6 game and he delivered when called upon. Deayon played 66 defensive snaps against the New York Giants, holding down the fort in place of the injured Williams.
In his first look in an expanded role, coach Sean McVay delivered encouraging words regarding Deayon's performance.
"You talk about Matthew, how smart he is, Double D (Deayon) is a really smart, instinctual player, great competitor," McVay said. "He did a great job being able to play outside. He played some inside, played over 50 snaps for us and was a heavy contributor in a big way. I thought he did a great job. Definitely wasn’t too big for him, came up and made some tackles as an enforcer in some of the run fits.
Aside from Jalen Ramsey doing his part, the Rams primarily went with rookie Robert Rochell and Deayon as the two other cornerbacks playing along the boundary and inside at the nickel.
David Long Jr., who began the year as a starter, played just 27% of the Rams' defensive snaps. While the L.A. secondary played nearly all game without allowing any chunk plays from the Giants' offense, it appeared the coaching staff gave Deayon an open opportunity to prove his worth over Long, and in Week 6 he answered the call.
"Double D was great. I was really pleased with him, but I also was really pleased with the secondary as a whole. Jalen continues to make his presence felt. That was an unbelievable play on the screen. He looked pretty swaggy with the celebration afterwards," McVay said laughing.
Deayon was signed to the active roster Tuesday in a corresponding move after the Rams placed running back Jake Funk and tight end Johnny Mundt on injured reserve, ending their seasons.
More from Ram Digest:
- Who Will Step Up as the Rams' Tight End No. 2 Option?
- Sean McVay Admits Communication Deficiency Ahead of Jared Goff Trade
- Rams Place Two Players on Injured Reserve, Sign Two Players From Practice Squad to Active Roster
- SI Power Rankings: Where do the Rams sit Ahead of Week 7?
- Rams RB Jake Funk, TE Johnny Mundt to Miss Remainder of Season
Nick Cothrel is the Publisher of Ram Digest. Follow Nick and Ram Digest on Twitter @NickCothrel & @RamDigestSI for more Rams coverage.
