The Rams didn’t just survive Week 7 against the Raiders - they got a look at a handful of young players who may be knocking on bigger doors next season.
With injuries opening the door, Los Angeles leaned on a group of replacement pieces and got enough from them to pull out a win in a game that could have done real damage to the playoff picture. That kind of night can be revealing, and for this roster it offered a glimpse at who might be ready for expanded jobs in 2027.
One of the clearest standouts was inside linebacker Shaun Dolac. He didn’t pace the team in tackles, but the tape apparently tells a bigger story.
Dolac played with the kind of steadiness and force that makes a defense feel more complete, and his style pairs well with teammate Omar Speights instead of overlapping with it. He comes off as a classic Rams linebacker: physical, relentless, and always around the ball.
A look at the week’s top defensive PFF scores backs up the impression that several young defenders made their presence felt:
Jaylen Watson - 90.7
Shaun Dolac - 84.3
Omar Speights - 83.5
Josh Wallace - 78.7
Ty Hamilton - 77.3
Dolac wasn’t the only young player to help himself. Tight end Davis Allen may have made the strongest business case of the bunch.
He and Colby Parkinson are both in the final year of their contracts, and Allen looks like the cheaper extension option. His two-touchdown outing in Week 7 only strengthened that argument.
He’s more than a pass-catching piece, too; he’s a blocking specialist whose game compares to an offensive lineman’s in a lot of ways. At the same time, he can catch the ball, and his catch rate is better than 70 percent.
For a player who brings that much to the table, the Rams may be better off keeping and elevating him rather than searching for a replacement.
Defensive lineman Ty Hamilton also gave the Rams something to think about. He started slowly, but his role is growing, especially now that nose tackle Poona Ford is out for the rest of 2026.
Hamilton is finally getting more snaps, and he’s showing he deserves them. In Week 7, he was limited to two tackles and one quarterback hit, but the bigger point was that he flashed the talent the Rams have been waiting to see.
He looks like a Kobie Turner padawan, the kind of versatile lineman who can line up anywhere and empty the tank on every snap. After playing only 131 defensive snaps as a rookie in 2025, he’s set for a much larger workload this season.
Then there’s wide receiver Konata Mumpfield, who seems to have earned a level of trust from Sean McVay that doesn’t always show up cleanly in the box score. Mumpfield has caught nine of 19 targets this season for 142 yards and a touchdown, good for 15.8 yards per catch.
That’s not a polished efficiency profile yet, but the Rams keep feeding him opportunities. Jordan Whittington has only two catches for 12 yards on three targets, and Tutu Atwell has three catches for 31 yards on four targets, which leaves Mumpfield as the next man up in the receiver room.
Once he gets his catch rate above 50 percent, his role should grow even more. For now, the Rams are already acting like they believe in him, and that belief could lead to a starting job in 2027.
Los Angeles doesn’t have a loaded stash of 2027 draft picks, but it does have a crop of young players who are starting to look like real candidates for bigger responsibilities. With injuries continuing to thin the roster, the Rams may be watching their future starters take shape in real time.
In Other News...
Blake Corum Just Put The Rams Backfield Tension In Focus
Blake Corums recent appearance on The Rich Eisen Show offered a clearer look at how the Rams are handling one of the more interesting dynamics on their roster. The rookie running back talked about the committee approach in Los Angeles and framed his relationship with Kyren Williams as a competitive one built on mutual respect, with both players focused on what helps the offense most rather than who gets the credit.
Corum did not hide that he wants to grow into the Rams top rusher at some point, which only adds to the intrigue around how this backfield develops. For now, though, he said the priority is fitting into the teams culture and backing up a teammate who shares the same goal of winning, even if the path there could eventually put the two backs in a more defined race for touches. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Keep Ignoring Tutu Atwell As This Offensive Debate Grows
The Rams went out and brought Tutu Atwell back from Miami after letting him leave in the first place, a move that suggested they still saw something worth reclaiming in his speed and fit. But with injuries thinning out the receiving room, his role has remained more limited than many expected through Week 7, leaving Los Angeles with a familiar question about how much it really wants to lean into a player it sought out again.
Atwells situation has become part of a broader offensive debate for the Rams, who continue to sort through how best to distribute targets and build the passing game around the pieces available. Even with the need for more help at receiver, the team has stayed cautious with his usage, and the longer that trend continues, the more it looks like an unresolved call on one of the rosters more intriguing options. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Special Teams Problem Suddenly Feels Bigger Than One Roster Move
The Rams made another small roster adjustment this week, adding linebacker Jon Rhattigan to the practice squad while moving on from cornerback Nyzier Fourqurean and linebacker Eli Neal. On paper, it is the kind of housekeeping teams do all the time in the middle of the season, but it also lands at a moment when special teams has become a real concern for Los Angeles and not just a background issue.
Sean McVay has already acknowledged the teams ongoing problems in that phase, and the front office has continued to look for answers around the edges of the roster. Long snapper Jake McQuaide even visited the Rams despite Joe Cardona being signed earlier in the offseason, which suggests the team is at least exploring every possible fix as the conversation around special teams grows louder. [Read more 🡒]