Buying or Selling: Rams defensive players for the 2025 season

Kobie Turner enters a significant year three…

I should have prefaced in yesterday’s article Buying or Selling: Rams offensive players for 2025 season that a “buy” indicates individual improvement moving forward. A “sell” classifies that a player is likely to regress in availability and/or performance. In short summary, I am buying stock in a lot of offensive players for the Rams offense to improve across the 2025 season. With Sean McVay and Les Snead committed to diversifying the offense, I believe the Los Angeles Rams offense will find itself improving its points per game and its overall efficiency as a unit. But the focus of this article goes to the defense, Chris Shula’s group. A unit in which Sean McVay shared plenty of names as making impressions in front of the coaching staff.

The Rams defense began gelling very late in the year, but it still had its cracks. Have the Rams patched enough of those areas? Let’s look…

Braden Fiske – BUY

If you break Fiske’s season into halves. His first half: 3.0 sacks, 4 tackles for loss, and 3 quarterback hits. His second half: 5.5 sacks, 6 tackles for loss, and 7 quarterback hits. Fiske’s presence was definitely felt more down the stretch. I get the feeling that he will be motivated and productive after missing the majority of the divisional game against Philadelphia.

Kobie Turner – BUY

Kobie Turner finds himself as one of the core pieces for Chris Shula’s defense entering year three. Without Aaron Donald, Kobie Turner proved he could still hold his own. He faced a league-leading set of double teams and still managed 8 sacks. With there being no moving parts except Poona Ford taking Bobby Brown III’s spot, I believe the defensive line led by Kobie improve and become a top-5 line.

Poona Ford – HOLD

As stated, Poona Ford takes Bobby Brown III’s spot along the line. I think Ford solidifies the front especially in the run game. I’m betting though that year one is satisfactory, not remarkable. I’ll take the upside in his year two for what it’s worth…

Byron Young – SELL

(Brennan Jackson – BUY)

Unfortunately, I think BY0 has shown his ceiling. I don’t see him as a double-digit sack artist and often times he is bullied by bigger offensive tackles. I will buy stock in Brennan Jackson’s ascension. I believe he will assume the third edge rusher spot in the defense’s cheetah package.

Jared Verse – BUY

(Josiah Stewart – HOLD)

Verse was dominant in year one. He paced the defense with 77 pressures but only generated 4.5 sacks. It was frustrating for Rams fans early on when he missed so many sacks. I don’t expect that to happen again. I think Verse has fully acclimated to the speed and shiftiness of NFL playmakers on offense. While Josiah Stewart was drafted to add to the ferocity of the Rams front, I think Jackson is getting the nod over him.

Nate Landman – BUY

(Troy Reeder – SELL)

I think Landman will provide more bulk and presence in the run game. Speights was okay but he too was bullied by bigger offensive linemen. Landman is 6’3” and 235 lbs and he was in the top 25% of linebackers with respect to run defense (73.9 PFF grade). If Troy Reeder makes the team, it will be because of his special teams ability.

Omar Speights – SELL

(Chris “Pooh” Paul – HOLD)

I am predicting that Speights will not have the starting job at linebacker when the season begins. I just think he is a significant liability in the passing game. I actually wouldn’t be surprised if Landman, Paul, and Dolic our the three linebackers to make the team. Paul might need a minute to be game-ready so I would pump the brakes on the fifth rounder.

Darious Williams – SELL

Darious Williams was not the same cornerback in 2024 that he was with the Rams in 2020 and 2021. It was not like he had to learn a new system since he has experience with the Rams deep shell. I think Williams is likely to get his spot taken by Forbes.

Cobie Durant – BUY

Durant’s biggest problem has been his health. Durant has also had a hard time finding stability; having been utilized on the outside and in the slot. But his best work has come on the outside. I think Los Angeles keeps him on the outside moving forward; relying on Quentin Lake to handle the nickel position.

Ahkello Witherspoon – HOLD

Witherspoon keeps battling in his NFL career. Nothing stands out regarding his play but he comes in handy during certain stretches of the season.

Emmanuel Forbes – BUY

(Derion Kendrick – HOLD)

The talk of the Rams OTAs and mini camp has been Emmanuel Forbes. He has been named on multiple occasions as a player that has stepped up. With a player getting that much attention, it’s hard to disregard the hype. Forbes could be the type of addition that Darious Williams was for the secondary in 2020, if not better.

While some may think that Derion Kendrick’s release before mini camp puts him on thin ice to make the roster. I actually think it makes him a lock now that his salary has been reduced.

Quentin Lake – HOLD

I am torn between buying or selling on Quentin Lake. There are times where he fails to get his head around in pass coverage; leading to DPI and holding calls. But he provides the most stability for LA in the star/nickel position…for now…

Kam Curl – BUY

I believe a forgotten component by many Rams fans was how young and unfamiliar the Rams safeties were last year. Curl played in Washington but he clearly needed time to work in Shula’s system. I think he has significant upside.

Kamren Kinchens – BUY

Kinchens was a rookie last year. He had his growing pains with taking poor angles on running plays but I think he will clean that element up. He delivered some of the best hits and tackles of the 2024 season. I believe he is poised for a strong 2025 year.