Demarcus Robinson making his claim for a starting position with the Rams

Demarcus Robinson was one of the few offseason acquisitions brought in by the Los Angeles Rams, and at the time, it did not seem to move the needle much in the sea of the NFL’s free agent signings. However reports out of Rams camp are that Robinson has been playing phenomenal early.

Robinson had a circus type catch from rookie quarterback Stetson Bennett that made the rounds on social media last week. He was able to make the grab while reaching over a defensive back, then kept his balance and continue running on.

Robinson has coaches and teammates talking about his play, with head coach Sean McVay specifically mentioning the eighth year wide receiver at a recent press conference:

“It’s not too big for him. There’s been a lot of opportunities where he’s kind of been the primary on some of these things and he’s just got a good look in his eye. I mean, he’s got a good swagger,” he said. “You can just see the way that he even just moves around the field, he’s got confidence. You like those guys that want the ball. You can feel, he’s got that nice kind of edge where he is not afraid to go or do anything other than go attack an opportunity to make a play. If it doesn’t go his way, he’s like, ‘I can’t wait for that next opp.’ That’s the mindset you want to have on this team as a whole and I’ve really liked what I’ve seen from Demarcus.”

This is exactly the type of thing you want to hear about a guy you brought in as a veteran presence for a young wide receiver room. This was just one of the many plays Robinson has made so far in camp, with Rams radio personality J.B. Long even saying on twitter “From now on, assume Demarcus Robinson had a highlight at Rams Camp until we note the day he doesn’t.”

Robinson, a Super Bowl winner with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2019, contributed 449 yards and four touchdowns in a backup role on the team for their championship season. He was also the Baltimore Ravens leading receiver last year with 458 yards and two touchdowns.

While those numbers do not jump off the page, Baltimore is not a very pass heavy offense, and when they do pass, they tend to lean on tight end Mark Andrews more than their receivers. Starting quarterback, Lamar Jackson, also missed a lot of time last season due to injury, but Robinson still was able to put up numbers consistent with what he’s done throughout his career.

Van Jefferson on the other hand, has missed multiple days of camp already for rest, and if Robinson keeps demanding confidence in his play, Jefferson could potentially end up on the trade block. Jefferson lacks Robinson’s consistency thus far in his career, especially when it comes to injuries, with Robinson playing at least 16 games in each of his seven years in the league.

The Rams also still have additional wideouts Tutu Atwell, Ben Skowronek and rookie Puka Nacua on the roster. This has made LA’s once thought thin receiver room one with more depth than expected. It’s entirely possible we could see a player like Jefferson moved, given some of the injuries around the league already in camp.

The Denver Broncos have particularly been hit hard at wide receiver with injuries to K.J. Hamler and Tim Patrick, the latter who looks to have injured his Achilles in practice and is rumored to miss the rest of season.

Could they be in play for a player like Jefferson if Robinson continues his ascent in practice?

Robinson will need to continue his great play to have a chance at dethroning Jefferson or make claim to the third receiver spot, but if he keeps standing out on a team looking for an abundance of playmakers, there’s no reason why he couldn’t make the 53 man roster and maybe even carve out a role on the field for Los Angeles when meaningful games roll around.