The Rams have shut down 2026 training camp, and now the hard part begins. Preseason games are next, along with joint scrimmages and the roster cuts that will trim the team to 53. After weeks of practice, the picture is getting clearer on who helped themselves and who left a little ground to make up.
Camp is never a perfect science. One dazzling rep can warp the conversation, and steady work often gets lost in the shuffle. But when the dust settles, the easiest way to sort it out is simple: some players fell short, some met the bar, and a few pushed well beyond it.
For Xavier Smith, the bar was high and the finish line got farther away. After the way the 2025 season ended for the return specialist - something about a muffed punt in a critical game - he needed a strong camp to steady his hold on the return job.
Instead, that grip looks shaky. With Tutu Atwell gone, Smith is now the offense’s most notable speed threat, but the Rams seem to be leaning harder into physical play than pure straight-line juice.
Jarquez Hunter is in a tougher spot still. He didn’t get any offensive work in 2025, and camp didn’t do much to change the outlook.
Kyren Williams and Blake Corum are ahead of him, and Ronnie Rivers could also be standing between Hunter and a roster spot if the Rams decide to carry only three running backs. Preseason may be his last shot to force the issue.
On the other side of the ledger, Grant Stuard made a strong case for himself. The veteran linebacker came in known for special teams work, and he has brought value on defense too. Los Angeles appears to have found something again in the linebacker room after last season’s Nate Landman discovery, and Stuard clearly took advantage of his opportunities.
The tight end group also got a major boost from coach Scott Huff. In his first season, Huff turned a position that had been a problem area into one of the league’s most productive.
Rams tight ends finished with 17 receiving touchdowns, and Huff, along with assistant Dan Shamash, helped reshape the offense with the plug-and-play quartet of Colby Parkinson, Tyler Higbee, Terrance Ferguson, and Davis Allen. Now the question is whether that same formula can keep working with five tight ends this season, including rooie Max Klare.
Cam Lampkin was another standout. The cornerback has not yet made his mark in the NFL, but camp suggested he is ready for a bigger role in the secondary.
He showed up in highlight reels almost every day. The caveat is obvious: he didn’t spend much time matched up against starting quarterback Matthew Stafford.
Emmanuel Forbes also raised his stock. After being pushed down the depth chart by the arrival of Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson, he responded by sharpening his coverage and regularly taking on one of the league’s best receivers in Davante Adams during practice. Forbes already flashed playmaking ability last season, and as a rotational piece rather than a starter, he may have found the right lane.
Then there was CJ Daniels, who made a habit of catching everything thrown his way. Rookies usually have to fight for scraps in Sean McVay’s offense, but Daniels showed he could work with the rookies, the backups, and the starters. That kind of reliability gets attention fast.
And the biggest surprise of camp may have been Stetson Bennett. The backup quarterback became the talk of the Rams’ summer, backing up the belief of his strongest supporters.
He also helped the young pass-catchers look good by running the offense well from the huddle to the pocket. Bennett may not set off a wave of fan euphoria, but his teammates clearly appreciate what he brings.
That’s the story of this camp: roles were mostly spoken for, but the fight to stick around still mattered. For the players chasing a place on the roster, or even a spot on the practice squad, the work was about proving they fit. And by the end, there were strong performances all over the depth chart.
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