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The 2022 Los Angeles Rams season featured a lot of changing parts. Franchise cornerstone Andrew Whitworth retired after the Super Bowl. 2021 mid-season trade acquisition Von Miller went east and joined the Buffalo Bills. Robert Woods was traded to the Tennessee Titans. And Odell Beckham Jr went unsigned as he recovered from an ACL tear. From Week 1, the Rams started losing starters to injuries. This forced new names into more prominent roles.
In continuing the countdown list of the 2022 Los Angeles Rams top 15 individual performers, let’s take a quick look first at the current list.
Staying on the defense side of the ball, the Rams 2022 sack leader checks in next…
#6 - Leonard Floyd, EDGE
The 2022 season was certainly a tale of two halves for Floyd. Through the first six games of the season, Floyd failed to record any sacks. At the midway point in the season, Floyd only managed to get to the quarterback twice. Shockingly, despite the Rams missing A’Shawn Robinson and Aaron Donald for the final six games, Floyd managed to shine in their absences. Floyd recorded 35 pressures over that span. He finished the season with 9.0 sacks which was in line with his 2020 and 2021 production.
Most sacks in NFL since Week 8
— Reuben Frank (@RoobNBCS) January 2, 2023
11 ½ … Haason Reddick
11 ½ … Josh Uche
10 ½ … Nick Bosa
10 … Javon Hargrave
9 … Myles Garrett
8 ½ … Josh Sweat
8.0 … Brandon Graham, James Houston, Chris Jones, Leonard Floyd, Daron Payne, J.J. Watt
Floyd had three games of at least two sacks (vs. San Francisco 49ers, at New Orleans Saints, and at the Green Bay Packers). His best performance was against the Saints in which he sacked Andy Dalton twice and recorded two tackles for a loss, earning an 80.4 PFF grade. Against the Denver Broncos in Week 16, Floyd was a disruptor against Russell Wilson. He pressured him a team high six times.
Leonard Floyd with a sack #Rams | #Packers pic.twitter.com/I3K9lTGfl4
— Rams PFN (@Rams_PFN) December 20, 2022
The frustration for fans in the early half of 2022 with Floyd was certainly production based. But it appeared Raheem Morris was using him as an off-ball linebacker at an odd rate. It wasn’t until he started sending the edge rusher on blitzes that the production finally started coming. There was a point where Floyd was in danger of being a cap casualty release this offseason if his production did not improve.
"SACKED BY LEONARD FLOYD!"
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) November 22, 2022
Second multi-sack game of the season for @Leonard90Flo. pic.twitter.com/Nf5gQzhS7v
Floyd is under-appreciated for his run defense, helping the Rams steadily become one of the best defenses against the run in the last two seasons. Floyd likely stays with Los Angeles for another year, unless they need cap relief in which they need to move on from some of their higher cap hits.
NFL executives believe Aaron Donald, Jalen Ramsey or Leonard Floyd "might be" traded in the offseason, per @JFowlerESPN pic.twitter.com/23IRseoHGr
— Sporting News NFL (@sn_nfl) January 24, 2023
His other improvement in 2022 was his tackling, only missing four tackles this year as opposed to 11 in 2021. His PFF grade for the 2022 season was 65.7.
Poll
Who was better in 2022?
This poll is closed
-
56%
Aaron Donald, DL
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43%
Leonard Floyd, EDGE
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