The Los Angeles Rams made a quiet but practical move ahead of the preseason, adding cornerback Zech McPhearson on Monday as they continue to sort through a crowded cornerback picture.
McPhearson arrives with some real NFL mileage. A fourth-round pick by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2021, he has played in 33 games and built most of his resume on special teams rather than as a pure corner. In his career, he has logged 683 special teams snaps and recorded 13 special teams tackles.
That background is exactly why he still carries some value. McPhearson has generally been a strong tackler, and Pro Football Focus ranked him as the 11th-best tackling cornerback in 2022.
If he sticks around on the practice squad, that experience and special teams work would be the selling points. The Rams have also shown they care about special teams production with practice-squad candidates like linebcaker Tomon Fox and others.
His path to the roster looks steep. The Rams are already in decent shape at corner, with Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson at the top, Emmanuel Forbes holding the third spot and Josh Wallace behind him. Forbes gives them solid outside depth, while Wallace brings inside-out versatility.
Still, there was a need for more bodies after late last week’s injury news. Cornerback Dre Norwood was placed on injured reserve, opening up room for another depth option as the Rams move toward their first preseason game Saturday against the Kansas City Chiefs.
McPhearson is probably not in line to crack the final roster. Cam Lampkin has been one of the camp standouts and has put himself in position to make a strong push.
Behind him, though, the Rams didn’t have much experienced depth. Alex Johnson and Alzillion Hamilton were expected to handle most of the preseason snaps; Johnson spent last season on the Rams’ practice squad, while Hamilton came in as an undrafted free agent this year.
McPhearson’s own recent journey has been a winding one. The Eagles released him during roster cuts in 2024, he spent the 2024 season on the Jacksonville Jaguars’ practice squad, and then he was released last year after being placed on injured reserve.
For now, the move looks like a camp addition with a specific purpose. But with his special teams background, McPhearson has a shot to compete for a practice squad spot - and at the very least, he has a few weeks to put useful tape out there for the rest of the league.
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