Biggest Winners and Losers From the Rams' First Week of Training Camp

The Los Angeles Rams completed the first week of training camp on Saturday, practicing six times in seven days. Throughout the first week, there have been several players who have stood out more than others. Let’s take a look at the winners and losers from the first week of Rams training camp.

Winner: WR CJ Daniels

One of the biggest standouts during the first week of Rams training camp has been rookie wide receiver CJ Daniels. It was one thing when Daniels was impressing during the first few days with the backups in shorts. However, that only continued as the Rams put on pads.

Ty Simpson had a nice TD throw to CJ Daniels between two defenders in the back of the end zone.

Another day of the 6th-round rookie WR making some plays, too.
— Nate Atkins (@NateAtkins_) August 2, 2026

It seems as if Daniels is making plays every day. Daniels is certainly making a strong case for the WR3 role alongside Jordan Whittington. He continually catches everything thrown his direction. While he’s developed a strong chemistry with Stetson Bennett, he also caught a touchdown from Simpson on Saturday. If he continues on this trajectory, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Daniels carve out a role in the offense.

Loser: WR Xavier Smith

Heading into training camp, it was thought that Xavier Smith would be one of the leaders in the WR3 competition due to his experience. Smith showed an ability to win vertically downfield last year and give the offense some speed.

However, with the emergence of Daniels and Kyren Williams taking snaps as the team’s punt returner, it’s worth wondering if Smith has a place on this roster. Smith has returned punts over the last two years, but his fumble in the NFC Championship game seems to have the Rams reconsidering. Without his value on special teams, Smith may be more on the bubble than some realize.

Winner: CB Cam Lampkin

One of the Rams' biggest defensive standouts has been at cornerback, and it isn’t who you might think. Heading into training camp, the secondary needed someone behind Jaylen Watson, Trent McDuffie, and Emmanuel Forbes to step up.

That player has been Cam Lampkin. During the first week, Lampkin has made several plays on the ball and even hauled in an interception. As the pads have come on, he’s continued making plays. On Saturday, he broke up a pass intended for Konata Mumpfield.

“If he can combine his quickness with the ability to remain strong while in press (or against bigger WRs), I wouldn’t be surprised to see his name tagged for depth behind McDuffie, Watson and Forbes,” wrote Pierce DeLuna of the 1st and Tuna Substack.

Loser: Rams OL Depth

Early in the week, it was reported that backup guard Justin Dedich had been placed on the NFI list with a hand injury. Sean McVay confirmed that, saying that Dedich hurt his hand over the Fourth of July in a non-fireworks incident.

Following the announcement, the Rams signed two depth offensive linemen in Blake Hance and Bill Murray. It wasn't surprising that the Rams signed one offensive lineman with the Dedich injury. However, it should say a lot that they signed two. This is a team that may not have as much confidence in its offensive line depth as it would like.

Winner: Ty Simpson

This isn’t to say that Simpson has been perfect and hasn’t made his share of mistakes. However, once the Rams put on pads Friday and Saturday, they allowed Simpson to push the ball downfield more, and his arm talent really showed. It’s evident that he’s starting to get more comfortable in the offense.

Simpson is continuing to stack days, which is what’s important at this stage in his development process. The occasional rookie mistake has popped up, as Simpson nearly threw two interceptions on Friday, but he’s continuing to show poise and confidence. Simpson may not be pulling ahead in the backup quarterback battle, but he’s slowly closing that gap.

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