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2017 Rams Rookie Report: Preseason Week 4

Many draft picks sat out the finale but some used this game to try and make the 53-man roster.

NFL: Los Angeles Rams at Green Bay Packers Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Rams ended the preseason finale with a Dan Orlovsky led offense. Without Cooper Kupp out there, the Rams virtually had no shot of posing a real threat (along with like 20 of the starters).

With massive cuts coming due to the new rules where there is one massive roster reformation instead of multiple “cutdown” days, many young players had to impress in the finale and make a case to be on the 53-man roster.

Offense

Justin Davis has been involved in the highest of highs and lowest of lows with the Rams. The leading rusher for the Rams preseason, Davis also coughed up two fumbles in his preseason debut but shined most as an explosive runner in the finale.

Up in the trenches, Jake Eldrenkamp seems to be the best of the undrafted rookie bunch, starting with experienced players in the finale.

Defense

After battling some injuries, Samson Ebukam finally got a start while Tanzel Smart, Ejuan Price, and John Johnson continued to gain valuable game experience.

Of all the defensive rookies, Folarin Orimolade led the way with six total tackles with John Johnson right behind him with five. Tanzel Smart’s impact was felt with a QB hit and TST favorite Aarion Penton finally got some limited action.

Overall

Many of the mentioned above will likely not be in the two-deep. While it was encouraging to see such a great impact from the rookie class, the downside to having one large cut is that it may be harder for a player to get another long look (a game environment).

The Rams, and the rest of the league, will find an undrafted guy they like and it’ll be interesting to see what position the staff feels can benefit from that rookie. Most importantly, let’s hope Kupp can keep his undefeated streak into the regular season.