The Rams have spent most of the season keeping their rookie class on a short leash, but Week 10 is shaping up as the kind of spot where that approach has to change. With Puka Nacua and Davante Adams both out, Los Angeles suddenly needs answers at wide receiver, and rookie CJ Daniels looks like the player who should get the first real look.
That hasn’t been the Rams’ pattern so far. Through nine weeks, their rookie class has logged just 1.7 percent of the team’s snaps, which ranks 31st in the NFL.
Only the Denver Broncos have used their rookies less, at 1.3 percent. Outside of forced opportunities, the first-year players haven’t seen much of the field.
The Rams have already shown how quickly that can change when injuries hit a position group. Against the Los Angeles Chargers, they were down to three tight ends and had to open the game in 11 personnel, even though that wasn’t the offense they were built to run.
The offense stalled, Max Klare eventually had to play in the second half, and once the Rams shifted back to 13 personnel, the game swung back in their direction. Even with that strong showing, Klare was back to zero offensive snaps the following week against the Washington Commanders.
Now the same kind of opening exists at receiver. Without Nacua and Adams, the Rams are left with Konata Mumpfield, Tutu Atwell, Xavier Smith, and Daniels. And Daniels, at least on paper, is the one who fits the missing piece best.
Sean McVay has been talking about Daniels in glowing terms since camp. On Friday, he again pointed to the rookie’s maturity and the way he has handled coaching.
“He’s just had a mature presence, kind of no nonsense but it's not too big for him. He’s so secure to be able to handle coaching or corrections,” said McVay on Friday.
“He plays big at the catch point. He has a physicality.
A lot of the things that you’re looking for from our receivers, he’s checking those boxes and he’s very curious. That’s what you really want from these guys is the humility and the passion for the game.”
That praise has been there for months, and it lines up with what Daniels showed in the preseason. He was productive there, and he also earned the most targets per route among Rams wide receivers. His 1.91 yards per route run ranked sixth.
Still, the regular season has brought almost nothing for him. McVay hinted at a bigger role last week, but Daniels ended up playing only one snap.
Offensive coordinator Nate Scheelhaase said this week that the rookie has kept building behind the scenes.
“He’s had a lot of great moments behind the scenes,” said offensive coordinator Nate Scheelhaase this week. “We’ve been really encouraged about his development and his progression as the year has gone on.
He’s been as fun of a player to watch on our practice field for the last few weeks. I’m obviously excited for him to continue to get opportunities, but they’re opportunities that he’s earned through a lot of hard work, through a lot of consistency in how he’s approached.”
The Rams also have a roster issue that makes Daniels even more interesting. Xavier Smith is back this week after the team came up empty at the trade deadline, but there’s an argument that the snaps should go to the player with more upside instead of an edge-of-the-roster option. Smith has value - last season he ranked second in the NFL in EPA per target, fourth in targeted success rate, and top 20 in yards per route run - but the case here is that he should be taking snaps over Tutu Atwell, not Daniels.
Matthew Stafford also pointed to what Daniels has shown when the Rams have gone against their own defense in practice.
“C.J. has done a hell of a job,” said quarterback Matthew Stafford. “You look at the crossover tape when Stetson and Ty are working against our defense, he’s showing up in a big way a lot of different times. I’m excited to get some chances to throw with him, get it out there on Sunday, and just get his feet wet.”
The fit is obvious enough. Without Adams, Daniels may be the only Rams receiver with the size to work outside the numbers.
He’s listed at 6-foot-2 and 202 pounds, and Mockdraftable has him as a 99 percent match to Nacua. Heading into Sunday, the Rams’ wide receiver depth chart averages 5-foot-9.8 and 182.4 pounds.
The Rams have been patient with rookies all season, and that made sense when the roster was healthier. But with the top two wideouts missing, the team is at the point where it has to find out what Daniels can do. If the coaching staff really believes he’s ready, this feels like the week to finally let him show it.
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