By: Jake Rajala

The Los Angeles Rams may have a high from their previous Super Bowl victory, but they need to go back to the drawing board for the 2022 season. Their first battle is inches away (on Thursday night against the extremely heavy Super Bowl favorite Buffalo Bills). Well, I’m going to bring joy and unique excitement to the Rams fan base – by untwining five x-factors for the Rams in the 2022 season.

• Taylor Rapp

The Rams 24-year-old safety, Taylor Rapp, had a sneaky good season in 2022: four interceptions (career-high), pass deflections (six), 1.5 sacks, 3 QB hits, and two tackles for loss. Rapp was even named NFC Defensive Player of The Week for his Week 6 performance. He will surely have an opportunity to prove himself against the best on Thursday night.

• Darrell Henderson Jr.

It’s a massive victory for Sean McVay to utilize a healthy Cam Akers, but they still have an aggressive Darrell Henderson Jr. The Rams RB2 from Mephmis ousted 688 rushing yards (while averaging 4.6 YPC) and five rushing TDs for the Rams offense. PFF handed Henderson Jr. a modest 68.7 grade for his performance in 2021. Besides LA showcasing the 2021 Offensive Player of The Year Cooper Kupp, the new and improved QB Matthew Stafford, and a talented RB1 in Akers, they have an exciting face in Henderson Jr.

• Van Jefferson

The LA Rams showcase the mighty WR duo in Cooper Kupp & Allen Robinson. Yet, let’s not forget about the underrated Van Jefferson — who ousted 50 catches, 802 yards, and 6 touchdowns last season. The 26-year-old will be MIA for the opener, but I trust him to win his match-ups as the season progresses.

• Brandon Powell

The Rams ace returner, Brandon Powell, had a punt return TD on a mere six PRs last season. He also averaged 26 yards per KR. He will be an exciting and consistent threat with more reps – to say the least. He will also have increased snaps at wideout in Week 1 with Jefferson healing his injury.

• Justin Hollins

Justin Hollins may not be Von Miller, but he can have a breakout season at edge rusher. He nicely edged out Terrell Lewis for the starting OLB spot this summer. In eight games last season, the Rams OLB obtained a pair of sacks, 22 tackles, 1 QB hit, 1 TFL, and 1 FF.

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By: Jake Rajala

The reigning Super Bowl champions, Los Angeles Rams, recently released their first depth chart after their training camp has eclipsed. With that stated, I’m going to simply untwine five takeaways from the Rams depth chart.

Jake Funk

The Rams RB Jake Funk (seventh-round pick in 2021 draft), who only accumulated 5 rushing yds last season, should be a lot more involved in 2022. Funk is listed behind a Cam Akers and Darrell Henderson Jr. sandwich. He is set to be a FA in 2025.

Brandon Powell

The explosive Brandon Powell is primed to be the starting KR and PR in Week 1. Powell is undoubtedly a vital, unique part of the Rams puzzle. He recorded a punt return TD on only six punt returns in 2021. Furthermore, he averaged 26 yards per kick return on eight kick returns.

Per Rams Wire, Powell injured his knee at mini-camp, but Sean McVay isn’t concerned about the incident.

Ben Skowronek

The Rams showcase the reigning OPOY Cooper Kupp and the fresh, top-tier wideout Allen Robinson. The third starting WR is none other than Ben Skowronek. The 2021 seventh-round pick has a big opportunity in wake of Van Jefferson’s injury. The Rams OC Liam Coen feels like he is a WR that LA can rely on.

Chris Garrett

The former D2 mythical pass rusher Chris Garrett had a developmental 2021 season, but he was expected to be should more involved in the Von Miller-less pass rush moving forward. His outlook is a bit uncertain after he injured his groin. Per Ramblin Fan, McVay stated the following about Garrett’s injury, “those soft tissue things can be anywhere between a couple of days to a couple of weeks”.

Garrett is listed as the back-up to Justin Hollins at this moment. I suspect that he will be in-sync at some point early in season – wether it is Week 1 or Week 3.

John Wolford

The back-up to Matthew Stafford, John Wolford, has seized quite a few reps w/ Matthew Stafford limited via his elbow injury. The former Wake Forest signal-caller is 1-0 in his lone start in the league.

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