Rams found a diamond in safety Jaylen McCollough
The Los Angeles Rams got away with a 20-15 win in Week 7 against the Las Vegas Raiders. While it wasn’t perfect, there were several stand-out performances worth mentioning. Here is this week’s stock up, stock down.
Stock Up: S Jaylen McCollough
Coming into the season, it was thought that the rookie safety that would contribute early would be third-round selection Kam Kinchens. While Kinchens did get some playing time early, he has since been benched. Instead, it has been undrafted free agent rookie safety Jaylen McCollough who has made an impact.
McCollough had two interceptions against the Raiders to bring his season total up to seven. The Tennessee safety likely went undrafted due to poor testing and some off the field issues in 2022. On the field, he made 51 starts and played 60 games in the SEC. That experience and his versatility as a strong nickel have showed up early in his career.
Stock Down: K Joshua Karty
For a second consecutive game, Karty missed an extra point while also missing his second field goal of the season. He is now 9-for-11 on field goals this season and 7-for-9 on extra points. It didn’t end up costing the Rams on Sunday, but there is a scenario in which it certainly could have.
There are a few things that can be true here. Yes, Karty needs to be better. At the same time, the Rams made an investment in Karty and they aren’t going to be moving on after two missed field goals. The hope here is that the misses don’t become a problem moving forward. He’s shown he can make kicks in big moments, but the Rams also haven’t lost a game because of him.
Stock Up: CB Cobie Durant
Durant was somebody that was talked about all offseason by the coaching staff as a player that looked to be back on the right track. His start to the year wasn’t great in a full-time role, but playing more in the slot, Durant looked more comfortable.
The third-year cornerback had his first interception since 2022 and also had a sack fumble that resulted in a scoop-and-score. Hopefully Sunday’s performance is a confidence boost for the young cornerback and he can carry that momentum moving forward.
Stock Down: Offensive Line
Until the Rams start to get healthier on the interior, the offensive line is going to continue to struggle. The Rams made an adjustment playing Justin Dedich at left guard in favor of Logan Bruss. However, the offensive line still continues to struggle passing off pass rusher on stunts.
Unfortunately the situation is what it is at this point with injuries and the Rams simply have to manage it. Still, for much of the game against the Raiders, they were losing the battle up front. It only gets harder this week as the Rams go up against Brian Flores and the Vikings.
Stock Up: EDGE Michael Hoecht
There were times last year where many wanted Michael Hoecht to be replaced. In a rotational role this season, Hoecht has played respectable on the edge. He has been the best player when it comes to containing the edge and gives the Rams size on early downs.
Against the Raiders, Hoecht showed his effectiveness as a high-effort player, getting a pressure that led to a throw-away on third down. He also had an ankle tackle on Gardner Minshew to trip up the quarterback and force a third-and-long. Hoecht in a smaller dose has been better in 2024.
