The Los Angeles Rams enter the 2025 season with key roster spots already locked in — Matthew Stafford will lead the offense, Puka Nacua and Davante Adams headline the receiver room, and Sean McVay remains at the helm of one of the league’s most innovative coaching staffs. Yet for all that’s stable in L.A., the long runway before Week 1 means there’s still plenty of room for surprises.
Some of those surprises may come in the form of rookie standouts — players whose timing, talent, and opportunity could converge to shift the Rams’ depth chart by the end of training camp. And while the quarterback spot is unchallenged, several veteran contributors on both sides of the ball could soon feel the heat.
Four Los Angeles Rams Veterans Who Will Be Pushed by Rookies This Summer
Here are four Rams veterans who could be pushed by ascending rookies before the summer is through:
1. Tutu Atwell | WR
Tutu Atwell re-signed on a one-year, $10 million deal this offseason and is penciled in as the starting slot receiver. But despite his blazing speed and occasional flashes, Atwell has yet to prove himself as a reliable weekly contributor. In three seasons, he’s never surpassed 43 receptions.
Enter Konata Mumpfield — a seventh-round pick out of Pittsburgh who’s already creating buzz during OTAs. Mumpfield may not possess Atwell’s top-end speed (he ran a 4.59 40-yard dash), but he’s shown excellent ball-tracking and contested catch ability in early practices, even adjusting to underthrows and making tough grabs in traffic.
With Nacua and Adams locked in as WR1 and WR2, the WR3 role is there for the taking. If Mumpfield continues to build momentum through training camp, Atwell could find himself competing for snaps — or even a roster spot.
2. Kyren Williams | RB
Kyren Williams has blossomed into a dynamic back, notching two straight 1,000-yard seasons and earning a Pro Bowl nod in 2024. But durability remains a concern — Williams has yet to complete a full season — and he enters a contract year in 2025.
The Rams may have quietly drafted his insurance policy in Auburn’s Jarquez Hunter. A fifth-round pick, Hunter was labeled by The Athletic’s Dane Brugler a hammerhead back with the toughness to handle a full workload. At 5-foot-9, 204 pounds, he brings a lower-body power profile that could complement (or challenge) Williams in the backfield.
Hunter also joins a room that includes rookie Blake Corum and returning backup Ronnie Rivers. While Williams is still RB1, the Rams’ draft strategy suggests they’re preparing for a more diversified or contingency-based approach at the position — and that Hunter could factor into the plans sooner than expected.
3. Troy Reeder | LB
Most of the attention this offseason has centered on the Rams’ offense — but the most competitive position battle may come on the other side of the ball.
At inside linebacker, veterans Troy Reeder and Omar Speights are expected to start. Yet Chris Paul Jr., a fifth-round pick out of Ole Miss (via Arkansas), could be the dark horse that breaks through. Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine noted that Paul’s mix of “talent, timing, and opportunity” makes him one of the likeliest rookie breakout candidates on the Rams roster.
Paul was highly productive in college, finishing with 118 solo tackles and 9.5 sacks across three seasons. He brings a level of explosiveness that’s currently lacking in the Rams’ linebacking corps — and with no entrenched star in that unit, Paul has a real path to meaningful playing time early.
The Rams may not hand him a starting role, but if he continues to flash in camp and preseason, it might not be long before Paul forces his way onto the field.
4. Derion Kendrick | CB
Derion Kendrick is another veteran who could be in jeopardy. The 2022 sixth-round pick missed the 2024 season with a torn ACL and hasn’t developed into a reliable option in the secondary, recording just one interception in his career.
The Rams’ cornerback room is deep but lacks a true star, and Kendrick is a candidate to be released if the team makes a splashy addition. His contract could also work against him — cutting Kendrick would save the team $3.4 million in cap space. If Los Angeles lands a corner like Jaire Alexander or brings back Jalen Ramsey, Kendrick may be the odd man out.
Final Thoughts
The Rams aren’t undergoing a rebuild — but they are evolving. While their top-tier starters are secure, the layers underneath are fluid, and rookies with the right mix of skill and opportunity have a chance to make serious waves. Training camp will be the proving ground, and veterans like Atwell, Williams, Kendrick, and even presumed defensive starters could find themselves in tighter battles than anticipated.
Sometimes change doesn’t start at the top — it builds from the bottom. And in Los Angeles, that foundation is starting to shift.
