The Los Angeles Rams were ranked last in having talent under the age of 25 by Aaron Schatz for ESPN, and when you look at the methodology he used, that’s fair. However, I’m not really sure what he’s trying to say with those rankings. But should the Rams fans be concerned by this apparent lack of young talent?
Not really.
Because Schatz starts by saying;
“When we look at which NFL teams are set up for future success, a big part of that is considering how much young talent is on each roster.”
What he fails
to point out is how far in the future he’s looking. In the case of the Rams, the future is basically tomorrow.
The Methodology
The first two components of Schatz’s methodology virtually guarantee the Rams’ last-place ranking.
- Number of starts made by players under 25 years old
- Number of snaps played by players under 25 years old
The Rams have two players who qualify: Kamren Kinchens and Terrance Ferguson. However, if we make our own list of Rams players under…let’s say 27 years old, it adds a few notables.
- Blake Corum
- Kyren Williams
- CJ Daniels
- Puka Nacua
- Jordan Whittington
- Steve Avila
- Warren McClendon
- Desjuan Johnson
- Omar Speights
- Emmanuel Forbes
- Trent McDuffie
- Josh Wallace
- Jaylen McCullough
The point here is that the Rams have an abundance of very good young talent.
Why the Rams may be lacking in ‘younger’ talent
Over the last five years, the entry age of all drafted players is close to 24. That drops to 22-ish for first-round picks and can probably be attributed to young, uber-talented guys declaring as soon as possible. They, or their agents, know the really big contracts are the second ones, or even the third ones. The non-first-rounders tend to stay in school longer because of the money available through NIL contracts and the fact that the transfer portal gives them more opportunities to grow as players and find a system that best displays their talents.
Given that the Rams treat first-round picks as bargaining chips, they’ve used first-round picks three times in the last ten years, it’s no wonder they have fewer players than most under 25 given these averages.
In addition, while many GMs tend to stay away from ‘older’ players coming out in the draft recently, Rams GM Les Snead seems to care less than most. Byron Young, for example, was 25 when the Rams drafted him in the third round of the 2023 draft and offers an example of age not being a detriment to a player’s development.
While the Rams are absolutely set for this season, the picture gets a little blurry starting next year. With only four draft picks in the 2027 draft and a host of players eligible for free agency, Snead and head coach Sean McVay have a lot of decisions to make for the Rams’ next future.
