Chris Shula Opens Up About Rams’ Defensive Backfield

The Los Angeles Rams' defensive coordinator loves what he's seeing in the secondary

May 28, 2025; Woodland Hills, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula during organized team activities at Rams Practice Facility. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

WOODLAND HILLS, Ca. Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula took the podium on Thursday, where he shared his thoughts on multiple members of the defensive back room.

Jaylen McCollough

McCollough's ability to penetrate the backfield has been put on full display with him spearing Jalen Hurts in week three. Shula spoke on McCollough's work as a dime-backer.

Jun 3, 2025; Woodland Hills, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams safety Jaylen McCollough (2) during organized team activities at Rams Practice Facility. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

“He’s been that way really since he got in the game last year," stated Shula. "We love ‘Tank’ [Jaylen McCollough]. He does a lot of different stuff for us. He’s smart, he's tough, he's versatile and he's a great tackler. Based on the game plan, situationally, we can match him up with certain things and he always makes the most of his opportunities. He always seems to make a big play whether it's a pick, a sack or something like that. He’s just continued to do that. He picked up where he left off last year.”

Quentin Lake

Lake has been phenomenal in coverage and has been the glue the defense has needed, playing a variety of roles based on different packages. Shula couldn't be any happier with Lake's performances.

Jul 23, 2025; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams safety Quentin Lake (37) during training camp at Loyola Marymount University. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

“To me, he's been the same [since] two years ago when he started playing nickel. Obviously, he had a great year last year. He would've played every single defensive snap on the season besides that last game when we were resting him for the playoffs."

"He’s just picked up where he left off. He has great ball skills, he's a great tackler and he plays extremely hard. He’s really good on the perimeter control and he just does a lot of stuff for us. We love him as a player and to me he's just continued to elevate his game. He’s just gotten that much better because he's a guy that learns from his experiences. He plays tough so we like him.”

Emmanuel Forbes

Forbes has been slowly working to get back into the starting lineup over the past offseason, having accomplished that goal in week one. In week three, Forbes was stress tested, and despite some errors, the Rams still have trust in him because this was the first time in a long time he was put in such uncomfortable positions for his play style.

Sep 21, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Devonta Smith (6) makes a touchdown catch past Los Angeles Rams Emmanuel Forbes (1) during the fourth quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

“He made some good plays and then he was put in some tough positions. At some times we were pressuring the QB and he got put on some isolations. We love Emmanuel Forbes and we trusted him to be able to make those plays.”

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