In a pass-first league, it’s important to have quality cornerbacks and safeties who can cover top receivers. The Los Angeles Rams struggled to do that early in the 2024 season, getting gashed by the likes of Marvin Harrison Jr., Jauan Jennings and Justin Jefferson.
They started to turn things around as the season progressed but with a nearly identical secondary returning in 2025, there are questions about this position group.
Pro Football Focus isn’t particularly high on the Rams’ secondary, ranking it 18th in the NFL entering the new season. While the writer, Josh Kosko, sees the potential for L.A. to have a “solid unit” if players improve after inconsistent seasons in 2024, he only has 14 teams with a worse secondary than the Rams on paper.
Most players in the Rams’ secondary had down years in 2024 after strong performances in 2023. Darious Williams, who posted one of the best seasons by any cornerback in 2023, struggled in his return to Los Angeles. Quentin Lake has graded well in PFF’s advanced coverage metrics over the past two seasons, while rookie Kamren Kinchens was the only player to earn an overall grade above 70.0 in 2024. If Williams bounces back and Cobie Durant and Kamren Curl show improvement, the Rams’ secondary could shape up to be a solid unit in 2025.
Lake is perhaps the most important player in the secondary, being a hybrid safety and cornerback who can line up deep or cover the slot. Ahkello Witherspoon and Williams have far less position flexibility, as they’re almost exclusively outside cornerbacks, but Durant has inside-outside versatility, which should get him on the field often.
At safety, it’s up to Kinchens or Jaylen McCollough to step up alongside Curl, who’s entering his second year with the Rams. Curl doesn’t produce many turnovers but Kinchens and McCollough tied for the team-high with four picks last year.
The secondary’s ceiling may not be top-10 material, but the Rams know they have a cast of fairly reliable defensive backs who have middle-of-the-road floors.
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This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: LA Rams’ secondary ranked in bottom half of NFL for 2025 season