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...
Quenton Nelson Just Raised The Stakes For Seattles Offensive Line
The Seahawks made a major move to stabilize the middle of their offensive line, landing guard Quenton Nelson from the Colts for a pair of future draft picks. Seattle expects Nelson to step in at left guard, and the trade immediately changes the look of a unit that has been searching for more consistency up front. For a team trying to protect its quarterback and create a cleaner run game, the addition carries obvious weight.
Nelson is now in the middle of the usual post-trade adjustment period, learning a new offensive scheme and getting acquainted with new teammates. The Seahawks are giving him support as he settles in, but the ripple effect is already clear: his arrival forces a reshuffle along the line and raises the standard for everyone around him. How quickly that group clicks will be one of the more important early storylines for Seattle. [Read more 🡒]
Rashid Shaheed Trade Still Looks Worth It For Seahawks
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This season has not started as explosively on the receiving side, with his production down so far, but Seattle still has a player who can tilt field position every time he touches a kick or punt. For a team that values hidden yardage and game-changing speed, that kind of versatility keeps the trade looking smart even if the box score has been quieter lately. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Backfield Suddenly Has A Monday Night Twist Fans Need To See
Jadarian Prices return from injured reserve gave Seattles backfield an immediate jolt on the latest injury report, and it came with the kind of timing that can change how the Seahawks approach a game plan. Mike Macdonald said Price could be in line to play in the upcoming game, which adds another layer to a running back room that has already been under the microscope as the team tries to sort out who is available and how much work each player can handle.
The bigger wrinkle is Zach Charbonnet, who went from full participation to limited work in practice, leaving his status less certain than it looked earlier in the week. Elsewhere on the report, Charles Cross, Rashid Shaheed and Uchenna Nwosu were held out, while Leonard Williams and Drake Thomas moved all the way to full participation, giving Seattle a mixed health picture heading into Monday night and a few lineup decisions still hanging in the balance. [Read more 🡒]