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The LA Rams are sure to have Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey on the Pro Bowl roster this season. (There is no actual Pro Bowl game this year so there’s no need to worry about things like “I hope they can’t go because of the Super Bowl.”) The Pro Bowl will be a virtual video game event and so there won’t be any alternates.
That means there will be fewer Pro Bowlers than they’ve had in a long time, I assume. Sorry, Derek Carr.
What other Rams will make it?
I don’t think that either receiver can. Cooper Kupp is only 12th in yards in the NFC. There wasn’t a clear number one at the running back position. Andrew Whitworth might but he probably has missed too many games now. Johnny Hekker is always a threat. Always.
But the Rams have one of the best defenses in the NFL. One that deserves to forever have its Pro-Football-Reference page littered with asterisks. Only two won’t be enough. And Aaron Kromer’s offensive line has been a masterpiece too.
These players have never made a Pro Bowl roster but they could this season. Then three of them will become free agents and a fourth will be a restricted free agent.
Rob Havenstein, OT
It’s like being at Six Flags on a rollercoaster called “Stairway to Havenstein” and it is currently at its peak. Hopefully there’s no steep drop. Havenstein has been wrecking the right side for Darrell Henderson and Cam Akers and as usual, Jared Goff has taken few sacks. And Havenstein doesn’t necessarily need to move to left tackle when Andrew Whitworth retires because in the modern NFL, it can be just as good to have a bright side on the right side.
Austin Blythe, C
I’m a fan of rewarding centers on good offenses. He’s also looked the part and will be difficult to replace if he leaves in free agency next year; something that we did not expect to say when he re-signed for only one year in March. As a career guard.
The demand for good centers is high though.
Even if Whitworth didn’t play in enough games, the Rams could feature multiple Pro Bowl offensive linemen, and Austin Corbett might be in consideration too.
John Johnson, S
Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey may be what’s make the defense elite, but really what is their ceiling without the on-field coach? Johnson returned without missing a beat from how good he was prior to his 2019 injury and only seems to be improving. He doesn’t even turn 25 until Saturday.
Both Blythe and Johnson could see free agent pay bumps with Pro Bowl nods in January. Good timing.
Leonard Floyd, OLB
And here comes some more good timing.
I forget Floyd even exists most games. Given that five of his 7.5 sacks came in two games (two against the Bears, three against the Seahawks) and his main attribute is “pressures,” I think this is a fair response by me. He’s not a tackling machine and he’s not particularly consistent with his pass rush; Floyd has blitzed 76 times and is tied for 18th in pressures with 24.
But he doesn’t have a lot of competition at the position in the NFC. Za’Darius Smith, Trey Hendrickson, Shaquill Barrett may be involved. He actually has the same number of sacks and more pressures than former teammate Khalil Mack.
Darious Williams, CB
Among players who have been targeted at least 60 times, only Xavien Howard has a lower passer rating allowed than Williams. QBs are 32 of 61 for 391 yards, 2 TD and 4 INT when throwing at Williams (allegedly) and there’s nobody of note in the NFC doing better than him by those stats. Actually, former Rams corner Janoris Jenkins has come alive this season for the Saints.
What if Ramsey, Jenkins and Williams are all named to the NFC secondary?