Sean McVay often refers to the Los Angeles Rams‘ roster as being 69 players deep, which sounds inaccurate considering rosters are limited to 53 players. What he’s referring to is the 16-player practice squad that teams are allowed to assemble.
And with the changes the NFL made to practice squad rules a few years ago, they’re more important than ever. Teams can carry up to 16 players (17 with one international pathway player) and can elevate two of them for each game. They can include vested veterans and younger players, so they can have a variety of experience on their 16-man practice squad.
The Rams can begin assembling their group today after trimming their roster to 53 players on Tuesday, bringing back many of the guys they cut. Of course, those subject to waivers must first go unclaimed, which is exactly why we don’t have Chris Paul Jr. on this list.
As a fifth-round rookie, it would be a surprise if he goes unclaimed on waivers, giving him a strong chance to land with another team. Plus, Sean McVay didn’t exactly sound confident the Rams would bring him back in his press conference Tuesday.
“It’s not anything to take away from ‘Pooh’ because I have respect, love and wish him nothing but the best,” he said.
So, who could the Rams bring back? Here’s our 16-man practice squad projection.
RB Cody Schrader
Schrader had a really good preseason except for the third game when he was running behind a third-string offensive line. The Rams kept him on the 53-man roster all of last year after claiming him off waivers from the 49ers and Sean McVay already said Tuesday that he’s a candidate to land back on the practice squad.
RB Ronnie Rivers
Rivers dealt with a rib injury in the preseason, which hurt his chances of making the team. However, he’s an experienced player who’s been with the Rams for multiple years, providing value with his knowledge of the offense and his shiftiness out of the backfield. Don’t be surprised if he’s back in L.A.
WR Brennan Presley
Presley led all NFL wide receivers this preseason in explosive catches of 16-plus yards, showing what a big-play weapon he was for Los Angeles. He’s a little bit like Xavier Smith in that he’s smaller, but he plays big and can contribute on jet sweeps and gadget plays, too. Presley should be near the top of the Rams’ practice squad wish list.
WR Britain Covey
Covey competed with Smith for the return job but was beaten out. And while he didn’t have a great preseason from a receiver standpoint, he is an experienced player and was one of the better punt returners in the league in 2023.
WR Tru Edwards
Edwards brings a different flavor to the receiver position in that he’s 6-foot-3, making him bigger than most of the Rams’ other pass catchers. He played big in the preseason, too, making a tough catch in traffic to win the game against the Chargers.
OL Dylan McMahon
McVay said there was good separation between the 10 linemen the Rams kept and the guys they cut, but McMahon should still be a good candidate for the practice squad. He was injured for part of training camp and the preseason but is a valuable backup center to have on the practice squad.
OL Wyatt Bowles
Bowles showed some promise throughout the preseason, though he did struggle a bit in the final game against Cleveland. The Rams already have good depth on the O-line but he’s a rookie who does have potential to develop as a solid guard.
DL Jack Heflin
Heflin was the Rams’ third-highest-graded defender of the preseason, recording three pressures and nine tackles, per PFF. Los Angeles went seven deep on the defensive line but adding an eighth to the practice squad would be wise.
OLB Jamil Muhammad
Muhammad had a positive impact this preseason and as a young pass rusher out of USC, he has some promise on the edge. He finished second on the team this preseason with six total pressures, according to PFF.
OLB Brennan Jackson
Jackson was another mildly surprising cut because he was a fifth-round pick in 2024. However, he got off to a late start last year due to injury and even this summer, he didn’t have his name called very often on defense despite having three sacks in the preseason. He has the size of an NFL edge defender but not necessarily the pass-rush skills.
CB Derion Kendrick
Kendrick chose to re-sign with the Rams after they cut him to lower his salary, citing the fact that he loves this team and didn’t want to play anywhere else. It’s reasonable to think he’ll want to stay in L.A. on the practice squad, should the Rams want him back.
CB Charles Woods
Woods was probably close to making the team after doing so last year, and the Rams should want to keep him on the practice squad as a developmental piece. They don’t have a ton of youth at cornerback with Darious Williams and Ahkello Witherspoon among their top two players.
CB Cam Lampkin
Lampkin is another corner who played well this summer but just barely missed the cut for Los Angeles. He had a spectacular interception in the first preseason game and performed well in joint practices.
CB A.J. Green
Green is a vested veteran so he doesn’t have to worry about clearing waivers. The Rams can sign him right to their practice squad, and they should. He was the team’s top cornerback this preseason and can provide good depth, even on game days as a practice squad call-up.
S Nate Valcarcel
Valcarcel really impressed in the preseason as an undrafted rookie. The Rams have four true safeties on the roster but that shouldn’t prevent them from keeping more on the practice squad, especially with Quentin Lake and Josh Wallace being hybrid DBs.
S Tanner Ingle
Ingle made a strong push for the 53-man roster in the preseason finale but it wasn’t enough. He looked like one of the hardest-hitting safeties in football this summer, both on defense and special teams. He should be a high priority, and he could be in danger of getting claimed.
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This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Rams practice squad: Predicting LA’s 16 signings