WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. – The Rams reduced their roster to the 53-man limit on Tuesday. Here's a position-by-position look at Los Angeles' first 53-man roster for the 2025 season.
Italicized names = rookies
QUARTERBACKS (3): Matthew Stafford, Jimmy Garoppolo, Stetson Bennett IV
The Rams carry three quarterbacks on their initial 53-man roster. This room is deeper and more experienced thanks to re-signing Garoppolo earlier this offseason, as well as the extended reps Garoppolo and Bennett got during training camp and preseason joint practices while Stafford was sidelined with his back injury.
RUNNING BACKS (3): Kyren Williams, Blake Corum, Jarquez Hunter
Los Angeles will have three running backs on its initial 53-man roster in back-to-back years.
Williams, who signed a three-year contract extension earlier this month, returns coming off of back-to-back seasons with over 1,100 rushing yards and double-digit rushing touchdowns. Corum has looked like the player the Rams saw during his junior and senior seasons at Michigan. Hunter adds a downhill, tough-running element to the group in addition to his speed.
WIDE RECEIVERS (6): Puka Nacua, Davante Adams, Tutu Atwell, Jordan Whittington, Konata Mumpfield, Xavier Smith
Like quarterback, there's a wide range of depth and experience in this group as well, be it multiple seasons in the NFL or operating in the Rams' offense. Aside from the obvious exception of the rookie Mumpfield, each player in this group has played at least 15 games in their NFL career – nearly a full season's worth.
TIGHT ENDS (4): Tyler Higbee, Colby Parkinson, Davis Allen, Terrance Ferguson
The Rams go with four tight ends on their initial 53-man roster.
General manager Les Snead said on the preseason broadcast last week the team has discussed using more 12 personnel this year; carrying four tight ends suggests L.A. should have the depth to do it.
OFFENSIVE LINE (10): Alaric Jackson, Steve Avila, Coleman Shelton, Kevin Dotson, Rob Havenstein, D.J. Humphries, David Quessenberry, Beaux Limmer, Justin Dedich, Warren McClendon Jr.
The experience across the board in this group, as well as the signings of veterans Humphries and Quessenberry, made it very competitive and tough for newer players to break into. Each player in this group has played in at least 13 games in their career.
DEFENSIVE LINE (7): Poona Ford, Kobie Turner, Braden Fiske, Tyler Davis, Larrell Murchison, Desjuan Johnson, Ty Hamilton
The defensive line had a little bit of turnover again, but Turner, Fiske (a Defensive Rookie of the Year finalist in 2024 who led the team with 8.5 sacks), Davis and Murchison are all familiar faces, joined by veteran free agent signee and defensive tackle Poona Ford, who drew praise for his run-stopping ability throughout training camp as well as the pass-rushing upside he showed.
Defensive coordinator Chris Shula said this month that he thinks of Davis "like a starter." Regarding the rookie Hamilton, Shula said he's someone who continues to get "better and better" and is "a guy that puts his head down and goes to work every single day, and you see that those guys have really seen the potential in him and taken him under their wing."
Johnson is listed as a defensive end, but saw snaps at outside linebacker late in the preseason.
OUTSIDE LINEBACKERS (4): Jared Verse, Byron Young, Nick Hampton, Josaiah Stewart
The Rams will carry four outside linebackers on their initial 53-man roster, so it's status-quo from that standpoint for this group led by reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year Verse and Young, who has had at least 7.5 sacks in each of his first two seasons.
Although Stewart is currently in the concussion protocol, Shula on Aug. 13 said he was someone who "really showed up" when the pads came on in training camp, praised his gameday demeanor, toughness and physicality. Shula said the coaching staff has "loved" the way Stewart has progressed.
INSIDE LINEBACKERS (4): Nate Landman, Omar Speights, Troy Reeder, Shaun Dolac
Signed to a one-year deal earlier this offseason, Landman's leadership, communication and ability to create takeaways stood out throughout OTAs and training camp. Speights played in all 17 regular season games, starting 10 of them as well as both of their playoff games, and established himself as a reliable tackler: Per Pro Football Focus, he had only four missed the entire season, plus and finished with the fifth-highest tackling grade among rookies (79.2).
Reeder brings an experienced voice to the room, having played 72 games (37 starts) with the Rams, while Dolac was the lone undrafted free agent signee from this year's group to make the initial 53-man roster. Inside linebackers coach Greg Williams told theRams.com this summer that Dolac "could teach you the defense right now," which speaks to how quickly he picked up the scheme.
CORNERBACKS (5): Ahkello Witherspoon, Darious Williams, Cobie Durant, Emmanuel Forbes Jr., Josh Wallace
While this position may have been viewed externally as one that needed to be addressed by the Rams this spring, they elected not to draft a cornerback or acquire one via free agency or trade, reinforcing that the coaching staff liked the group they had.
Witherspoon, who re-signed earlier this offseason, enters the 2025 having had a full offseason to prepare for the regular season for the first time as a Ram. He and Williams bring plenty of experience, entering their ninth and eighth NFL seasons respectively. Durant and Forbes both shined with their playmaking throughout training camp. Wallace played in all 17 regular season games (three starts) and both playoff games last year.
SAFETIES (4): Kam Curl, Kam Kinchens, Quentin Lake, Jaylen McCollough
Continuity and depth is what sticks out amongst this group, between Curl and Lake's experience and the emergence of Kinchens and McCollough during their rookie seasons in which they led the team with four interceptions each.
SPECIALISTS (3): Ethan Evans (punter), Alex Ward (long snapper), Joshua Karty (kicker)
Evans and Ward enter their third season in their respective roles, Karty his second.
