The Los Angeles Rams defense had to face more adversity than it needed to in 2024, but the team fielded a far more determined defensive effort by season's end than it showed earlier in the season. Still, that didn't sway the ranking of defensive coordinators in Pro Football Network's latest article. In fact, it seemed to be ignored altogether.
I have a legitimate gripe against a ranking that elevates the reunited DC Robert Saleh with the San Francisco 49ers as the sixth-best defensive coordinator in the NFL long before his defense steps onto a football field. In the same article, he completely omits the fact that the Rams were a dominant defense in final third of the 2024 NFL season. And Jacob Infante makes no mention of a Rams pass rush that generated 16 quarterback sacks in the NFL playoffs.
Saleh's defensive performance with the New York Jets has nothing to do with a depleted 49ers defensive roster. Is Saleh a wizard who can wave his staff and suddenly restock a 49ers roster that deliberately allowed defensive stars to sign elsewhere so they the team had enough cash freed up to extend QB Brock Purdy? Come on, I can't even type that out and keep a straight face.
I get it. Trying to wrap your head around the direction of 32 NFL team defenses are trending in the upcoming season is tough work. But Infante shows little effort in researching either the Rams or 49ers defense. That suggests to me that he simply slapped something together to get something published.
As soon as Infante wrote "they made no significant offseason additions to their defense'" when describing the Rams offseason, you have to wonder if he never realized that the team signed NT Poona Ford, ILB Nate Landman, or drafted OLB Josaiah Stewart, DT Ty Hamilton, and ILB Pooh Paul Jr.
Don't sleep on the Rams defense in 2025
The Rams boast DROY OLB Jared Verse, as well as NT Kobie Turner, OLB Byron Young, and DT Braden Fiske, all of whom were finalists in DROY honors. So in terms of talent? This defense has it.
Nothing in Infante's article passes the sniff test. Brandon Staley, who had a hand in the 49ers 26th-ranked defense last season, is ranked higher than Rams DC Chris Shula, despite taking over as the defensive coordinator for the New Orleans Saints.
Don't take the level of disrespect for Rams DC Chris Shula to heart. Rams fans are sharp, and the signs of a defensive renaissance are everywhere. This is a defense that was the least expensive in 2024, and yet continued to develop and improve throughout the season. Now, returning to a second year of Shula as the defensive coordinator, the front office, the coaching staff, and the players return already armed with the foreknowledge of what to expect.
The Rams defense had to overcome plenty of adversity last season, and still managed to finish 26th in yards allowed, and 17th in points allowed. You are on solid ground to expect the worst finish from this defense to be in the 15th-20th range in 2025.
While even I admit that predictions of how the Rams defense will perform is speculation for now, I don't think an optimistic expectation is foolish. The history of NFL defensive coordinators shows solid improvements in the second season, as the familiarity with the strategy and tactics increases through the organization.
This is DC Chris Shula's second season leading the defense And this group will perform far better in Year 2 for Coach Shula, just as so many other defenses have done in their second season under a new defensive coordinator.
As always, thanks for reading.
