Rams don’t have an answer at slot corner

LA has moved Cobie Durant back into the slot recently with unfortunate results

The Los Angeles Rams don’t have an answer at slot corner. All three of their starting caliber players, Darious Williams, Cobie Durant, and Ahkello Witherspoon are all best suited on the outside. There may be no good answer on the roster in its current state.

Williams, Durant are outside corners only

It’s often assumed because of their size that Williams (5-9, 187 lbs.) and Durant (5-1, 180 lbs.) can play in the slot, but the actual results on the field show both are better served on the perimeter. In seven NFL seasons, the only year where Williams played more than 100 snaps from the slot was 2022 with the Jacksonville Jaguars. When the Jaguars asked Williams to play nearly exclusively on the outside the following year in 2023, he posted arguably his best individual season—allowing a QB rating of just 69.6 and catching four interceptions.

Last Sunday’s matchup against the Seattle Seahawks was the first game this season where Cobie Durant played more snaps in the slot than he did on the outside, and it’s no coincidence that this was easily his worst performance on the year so far. Durant allowed five catches on seven targets for 93 yards, a touchdown, and a passer rating of 153.3. Jaxon Smith-Njigba caught seven passes for 180 yards and two scores with most of his damage coming from the slot.

On the season Durant has allowed 19 receptions on 34 targets for 215 yards, a touchdown, an interception, two pass breakups, and a QB rating of 72.5. Over half of his snaps in the slot (95 total versus 316 on the outside) came against the Seahawks. This puts into perspective just how little he played inside before the most recent game and how he’s better suited for the perimeter.

Rams don’t have an answer in the slot

The Rams’ secondary has improved dramatically since benching Tre White. Williams returned to health after four games and pushed him to the bench. White is now no longer part of the plan and was traded to the Baltimore Ravens.

But Los Angeles has a difficult numbers game to find room and playing time for all three of Williams, Durant, and Witherspoon. I understand how the Rams could feel putting Durant in the slot is their best option if it allows both Williams and Witherspoon to play on the outside. The only reasonable alternative the team has at present is to move Quentin Lake from safety and ask him to play in the slot full-time. That challenging as Lake needed in the backend because Kamren Curl is better served playing close to the line of scrimmage.

Snaps in the slot through eight games:

Quentin Lake, DB: 148

Cobie Durant, CB: 95

Josh Wallace, CB: 78

Kamren Curl, DB: 44

Jaylen McCollough, DB: 29

While Lake leads in total slot snaps, there’s been a change in approach that shows the team is moving away from him in that facet. 120 of his 148 snaps came in the first four games while Williams was on injured reserve and unavailable. Over the last three games—arguably LA’s best three defensive performances on the year—Lake has just 26 reps in the slot.

McCollough has been a revelation as an undrafted rookie and has hauled in four interceptions on limited playing time, but it would be asking a lot for Josh Wallace to play a large role at a challenging position. Wallace was also carted off the field versus the Seahawks and his status could be in question moving forward.

The bottom line is that there’s no good answer for the Rams in the slot.

Play Durant to keep Witherspoon and Williams on the outside and expect him to not play at the level he’s capable of. Moving Lake from safety to the slot leaves open the possibility that opposing offenses will isolate Curl in coverage and scheme favorable matchups. It’s difficult to believe that a rookie UDFA like Wallace would be an upgrade over either of the first two options.

Damned if you do. Damned if you don’t. Either way, damned.