LA Rams 2025 Breakout Watchlist

Introduction:
The Rams roster is one of the deepest in the entire league and will rely on plenty of different players to make an impact throughout the entire season. Drafting and acquiring younger players that performed well over their lower expectations has been key to their success over the past few years, including the likes of Puka Nacua, Kyren Williams and Quentin Lake since 2022. 

There are 5 players that I can see having the potential to break out in a big way this season for the Rams. I’ll dive in to all five of them below including their stats from last year and why I believe they have the ability to break out this year. All five players have showed promise at some point so far in their young careers which makes me believe that they have plenty of unlocked potential to become a reliable contributor to this team.

Possible breakout candidates

WR Jordan Whittington – 22 catches, 293 yards, 13.3 yards per catch, 14 first downs / 16 kick returns, 453 return yards, 28.3 yards per return
Out of all the players that I am going to focus on, Whittington might be the player I’m most excited about. He is a versatile receiver that doesn’t particularly have a glaring weakness to his game. The Rams don’t like to use their rookies extensively in their first season, but when Whittington did get on the field, he certainly made an impression. His 50-yard catch and run in the week 18 clash against the Seahawks was the highlight of his first year in the league, showcasing such savvy route running on a double move to leave a DB on the floor.

He had 60+ receiving yards in three games when there were other injuries in the wide receiver room, proving that he has already got a good connection with Matthew Stafford. Whittington prides himself on his toughness, similarly to Puka Nacua, while also having breakaway speed and polished route running that is helped by his strong football IQ on option routes. Option routes are something that Stafford and Cooper Kupp used so effectively during their time together, so there is an opening in the slot that Whittington could take advantage of.

Whittington also showed real promise later on in the season with his kick-off returns. He showed off his elite burst by accelerating through gaps in the coverage and breaking off weaker tackles. He didn’t have a huge return but he certainly had a few good ones. If he does continue to return kicks, he could help provide a spark on special teams and help set the offense up in more positive field positions.

However, there are two things that could hold him back and both are somewhat out of his control. His injury history is very murky and he did miss some time last year with a shoulder injury so he’ll be hoping that he can string a fully healthy season together and establish himself as a contributor on the Rams offense. 

He could also be hindered by the contract extension given to Tutu Atwell and the drafting of Terrance Ferguson. Atwell will be considered the WR3 on the depth chart which will already limit Whittington’s chances for snaps, but Ferguson may influence the Rams to run more 12 personnel which means that only two wide receivers are on the field.

CB Emmanuel Forbes – 2 year career: 22 games, 50 tackles, 2 INTs, 13 pass deflections
Forbes has had a tough start to his NFL career after entering the league as a first round selection (number 16) by the Washington Commanders in 2023. Throughout his whole footballing career, he has always been incredibly lightweight and skinny, which he was able to get away with during high school and college as he had elite ball skills and football IQ that were able to bail him out against larger receivers who tried to outmuscle him. 

However, receivers in the NFL are on a completely different level and Forbes has found it incredibly hard to show off his ball skills as receivers know that they are able to get the upper hand by being physical both through the route and at the catch point.

Obviously, there are concerns about Forbes that have been proven right so far in his NFL career, but there is clearly potential there for him to be a star outside corner. Reports out of preseason camp were very positive for Forbes who was constantly making plays on the ball and there is certainly a chance that he could fight to start week one for the Rams.

His main competition is Darious Williams and Akhello Witherspoon. Both found their feet later on in the season after a difficult start, but both are aging and a little inconsistent game to game. Furthermore, they’ve also both struggled with injuries over the past few years, so there absolutely is an opportunity for Forbes to take advantage of and revive his young NFL career under Chris Shula and Aubrey Pleasant.

LB Nate Landman – 2024: 13 games, 81 tackles, 3 FF’s, 1 pass deflection, 4 TFL’s
Landman has been a very impressive piece of the Atlanta Falcons’ defence over the past two seasons, especially after he entered the league as an undrafted free agent three years ago. In his three years as a Falcon, he displayed impressive ability to stop the run and the ability to consistently bring ball carriers down with strong tackling.

He could turn out to be a huge steal for the Rams, especially now he has been announced as a defensive captain when he hasn’t even played a single snap for the Rams yet. He has also been given the green dot which means that he will be the defensive player that receives the play call from the defensive co-ordinator and must relay that to the rest of the defence on the field. This just proves the trust that the Rams’ coaches and players have in Nate Landman.

He's not the most amazing linebacker in coverage but he’s by no means a slouch. His agility is a little lacklustre so can be outrun by some more athletic tight ends and running backs so it’s not a huge surprise to see a lack of pass deflections and interceptions.

Despite the lack of interceptions, he can generate turnovers in other ways. Landman is known for his deadly ‘peanut punch’ which is essentially attempting to punch the ball out of the ball carriers hands to create a fumble. He had three forced fumbles last year and even made Alvin Kamara fumble the ball in an 11 on 11 scrimmage in preseason. 

His leadership and ability to create turnovers are something that was lacking in the Rams’ linebacker room last year so he can be a game changing piece of this young Rams defence.

S Jaylen McCollough – 2024: 43 tackles, 4 INTs, 1 pick-six, 4 pass deflections
McCollough had an impressive rookie season, making a great impression after working his way in to more snaps as the season went on. He was used in numerous positions but is most comfortable playing as a box safety. His ability to come downfield and cover tight ends or running backs seems to come naturally to McCollough as he is physical while also having the athletic traits to keep up with quicker receivers.

He also clearly has elite ball skills and footballing IQ as he constantly found himself in the right position to make plays on the ball in the passing game, which is how he ended up with 4 interceptions and 4 pass deflections. This means that he can be used down in the box and allow the linebackers to play the run first, which has been a key weakness of the defence for a few years now.

He does face plenty of competition to take snaps as the Rams have Quentin Lake who is likely to play the ‘star’ role and come down field to cover the slot or play in the box and cover tight ends or running backs. They also have Curl and Kinchens who are slated to start at the deep safety positions, but McCollough will definitely get chances to show off his skills as he has now proven he has the ability to play at such a high level. He will also be able to play when other players need a rest or possibly when the Rams play nickel defence – when the defence has five defensive backs (corners and safeties) on the field during a play.

WR Tutu Atwell – 2024: 42 rec, 562 yards, 13.4 average, 29 first downs
The final player on my list of potential breakout players is Tutu Atwell who is yet to live up to his second round pick status. He has certainly improved since he first entered the league, especially in his route running, so there is hope he can continue to develop his game and really establish himself as a quality wide receiver this season. The Rams will hope he can do just that so he can justify the $10million extension they gave to him this offseason.

Despite the addition of Davante Adams and the ever-present Puka Nacua continuing his form in to the new season, Tutu offers something a little different to both receivers as he can help stretch the field and create more space for Adams and Nacua to wreak havoc on defences. He’s not just a distraction though, as he has learnt how to effectively use fakes and cuts in his routes to threaten going deep with his speed but actually running outs, comebacks and curls on the outside or actually running deep and flipping the field quickly.

He won’t impose himself on defensive backs physically and does still occasionally get blocked up at the line of scrimmage by bigger DB’s so may need to work on more creative releases. If there was one receiver to help coach him with that, it would be Davante Adams. He has been a master of releases during his entire NFL career so hopefully he can coach Tutu up and make him even more skilled.

I would like to see the Rams use Atwell in more gadget and trick plays as he clearly has the niftiness and top-end speed to make plays with the ball in his hands, while also having quarterback experience in high school so can contribute to double passing trick plays to keep defences on their toes. 

Tutu has a lot to offer in the Rams’ offense and it’s clear that Sean McVay and other coaches appreciate him and his potential due to the contract extension they gave him this offseason, so I am hopeful that he can step his game up a gear or two and make a real impact next to Adams and Nacua this season.