Rams sleepers: You have the right to Tremayne silent if you don’t have faith in Anchrum

Today is June 24th and today is Tremayne Anchrum’s 23rd birthday. What would be a better way for Anchrum to celebrate being 23 this year than to become one of the LA Rams’ top two or three backup offensive linemen?

By proving to be worthy of one day becoming one of the Rams starting five offensive linemen. Maybe we shouldn’t entirely rule that out from becoming a possibility, but what seems to already be in his grasp is the role of super-utility.

As a seventh round pick, Anchrum faces incredibly long odds against him becoming a starting NFL player, but he brings with him a better college resume than most others in his position. This year’s number one overall pick, quarterback Trevor Lawrence out of Clemson, would probably have plenty good to say about him after the two shared the field for all of 2018 and 2019; Anchrum was Clemson’s full-time starting right tackle during their 15-0 national championship season in 2018, as well as the Tigers’ near-repeat in 2019.

Clemson went 29-1 during Anchrum’s two years as the starting right tackle, and he was named second-team All-ACC in 2018, then first-team in 2019. Anchrum’s 2,516 career snaps put him in the top-25 all-time in program history.

On the Rams, Anchrum’s role may never be to replace Andrew Whitworth or Rob Havenstein at offensive tackle, but that doesn’t preclude him from being the next Joseph Noteboom or Austin Blythe, and both of those players have been exceptionally valuable in their roles under Sean McVay. Anchrum already overcame the odds somewhat by making the final 53-man roster as a rookie, then hanging onto his spot for the entire season.

He played in 51 special teams snaps and snuck in three more snaps on offense. He faces perhaps even less competition for a utility backup role in 2021, since LA opted to not draft a single player along the offensive line.

Maybe in part because McVay and Les Snead are quite high on last year’s seventh rounder.