The Rams have put together a roster that looks loaded on paper, and the tight end room is part of that picture. It may not feature a headline-grabbing star at the very top, but there’s real depth here, and plenty of reasons to think it can matter in Sean McVay’s offense.
That’s why ESPN analyst Mike Clay’s ranking stood out so sharply. Clay slotted the Rams’ tight ends at No. 30 in the NFL, ahead of only two teams, while also labeling the group a “Unit to watch” for the upcoming season.
The placement is a head-scratcher when you look at the names involved. Colby Parkinson gives the Rams a solid starter, and behind him sit Tyler Higbee, Terrance Ferguson, rookie Max Klare, and Davis Allen. That’s a group with multiple players who could carve out roles, not a thin room trying to survive the season.
The Rams don’t have the kind of top-end tight end talent found with Brock Bowers, Trey McBride, Travis Kelce, or Coleston Loveland. But the overall package still looks strong enough to inspire confidence, especially with how McVay uses the position.
Clay’s ranking puts Los Angeles behind the Denver Broncos, Washington Commanders, and Carolina Panthers at tight end, which feels aggressive at best. There’s a real argument that the Rams have more than one player who would stack up favorably against those teams’ starters, and Ferguson and Parkinson could each be TE1 for any of them.
The Rams are also 15 spots behind the Jacksonville Jaguars in Clay’s list, another placement that doesn’t line up cleanly with the broader view of the two rosters. The Rams’ depth chart as a whole looks stronger, and that matters when you’re evaluating a position group built around shared production.
Clay did at least acknowledge the possibility that Ferguson could make a real impact, writing: "Don't be surprised if Ferguson finishes third on the team in catches this season," Clay writes.
That kind of note only makes the No. 30 ranking look even tougher to justify. The Rams may not have the flashiest tight end group in the league, but calling it third-worst feels way too low for a room this deep and this versatile.
In Other News...
Rams QB Battle Just Got More Interesting For Stetson Bennett
Ty Simpson and Stetson Bennett have both done enough in the preseason to keep the Rams quarterback conversation alive, and that is exactly the kind of problem Sean McVay wants this time of year. Simpson stood out in the opener with sharp decision-making, while Bennett answered in the next game with Player of the Game honors, giving Los Angeles a second look at two young passers who have each flashed enough to matter.
Bennetts recent progress has added another layer to the competition, especially after he has cleaned up the turnovers that had been part of his story earlier. With both quarterbacks making a case and McVay publicly encouraged by what he has seen from Simpson, the Rams still have a real preseason battle on their hands, and the next few practices and reps will go a long way toward shaping how that room looks when the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]
Stetson Bennett Just Made The Rams Roster Battle A Lot Tougher
The Rams second preseason game turned into a showcase for several young players, and Stetson Bennett made sure the quarterback conversation got louder. In a 34-0 shutout of the Saints, Bennett handled his work efficiently, completing 19 of 31 passes for 181 yards while adding two rushing touchdowns and taking home Player of the Game honors. The performance came with plenty of other names flashing too, including running back Jarquez Hunter, receiver CJ Daniels, edge rusher Wesley Bailey and cornerback Cam Lampkin.
For a roster that still has several battles to sort out, the most encouraging part for Los Angeles is how many players are forcing the issue at once. Bennetts outing stood out most, especially with the team evaluating depth and roles behind the established pieces, while Dean Connors had a quieter night after a more noticeable preseason debut. The Rams still have decisions ahead, but games like this make the margins a lot tighter. [Read more 🡒]
Stetson Bennett Just Gave Rams Fans A Real Backup QB Debate
Stetson Bennett spent the first half of the Rams second preseason game making a real case for himself, and the setting could not have been much calmer for a quarterback trying to make noise. With the defense blanking New Orleans and the offense stacking up four scoring drives before halftime, Bennett went 19 of 31 for 181 yards and added two rushing touchdowns in a 34-0 rout that gave Los Angeles plenty to like on both sides of the ball.
Ty Simpson handled the second half after Bennetts work was done, but the conversation the Rams may have sparked goes beyond one August win. Bennetts ability to keep the offense moving and finish drives adds some weight to a backup quarterback picture that had seemed straightforward enough before kickoff, and hell get one more chance to keep pressing his case when the Rams face the Chargers in the final preseason game on Aug. 27. [Read more 🡒]