After watching both of their TCU linemen, Steve Avila and Joseph Noteboom, go down with injuries in Week 1 in a brutal war of attrition against the Detroit Lions, the Los Angeles Rams have added some much-needed talent in the trenches in the form of 2024 sixth-round pick Dylan McMahon, who Les Snead signed off of the Philadelphia Eagles practice squad.
Taking to social media to announce the move, NFL agent Whitney Holtzman congratulated McMahon on his new opportunity, as he will now be on the Rams' 53-man roster heading into Week 2.
In Week 1, the Rams were down to just Jonah Jackson, Beaux Limmer, Kevin Dotson, and Logan Bruss as their interior options after losing Avila and Noteboom – who was playing tackle but is usually a four-position backup – over the course of the game. With McMahon, Ty Nsekhe, and Geron Christian all signed to help fortify the team heading into Week 2, the Rams should at least have enough bodies to get through their game against the Arizona Cardinals as they wait for Aleric Jackson to return from suspension and Rob Havenstein to make his 2024 debut.
New Rams center Dylan McMahon shined at the Shrine Bowl
While McMahon didn't end up making the Eagles' initial 53-man roster, with fellow practice squad player Nick Gates serving as Cam Jurgens' primary backup against the Green Bay Packers, there are still plenty of talent evaluators who believe McMahon can be a player in the NFL, including Eric Galko, the Director of Player Ops and Player Personnel for the Shrine Bowl.
Taking to social media back in April to help hype up McMahon ahead of the draft, Galko celebrated what he's seen from the Wolfpac member, noting that he has all of the tools to be a successful NFL player across three different positions.
“NC State Wolfpac center Dylan McMahon has flown under the radar on Twitter this draft cycle despite a great career, Shrine Bowl week, and NFL Combine. He's a four-year starter along the NC State offensive line, playing right guard, left guard, and center over his college career, and a part of some of the best OL units in the ACC. Since 2010, he's one of just four players to run a sub 4.40 short shuttle,” Galko explained on social media.
“As Josh Norris and Kent Lee Platte can attest, running a sub-4.47 puts him in elite company. Overall one of the top RAS OL in the 2024 Draft (9.81). He was also the ONLY OL at the NFL Combine to finish top-3 in broad jump, short shuttle, AND the three-cone. A special, versatile athlete who's lateral ability shows up in his ability to mirror and stay balanced in pass protection, as his foot quickness and lower body control are among the best in the class among interior offensive linemen. Combine that with four years of starting and his ability to diagnose and process, and you can see why teams know McMahon will immediately be a valuable part of an interior OL rotation and likely develop into a starter quickly.”
Will McMahon actually play for the Rams this season? Only time will tell, but he certainly has an interesting enough athletic profile to justify being signed off the Eagles practice squad not just now but into the future, too.
