The Los Angeles Rams’ cornerback group was far from the worst in the NFL last season, but it wasn’t close to being the best, either. It wound up being a position that cost Los Angeles down the stretch, getting picked apart by Sam Darnold and even Bryce Young in the playoffs.
There’s a chance the Rams’ new-look secondary will be one of the top in football next season after the team added Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson via trade and free agency, respectively. Replicating the Chiefs’ cornerback tandem in Los Angeles, the Rams are betting big on their scrappy, physical DBs.
Based on the numbers, McDuffie and Watson have been two of the better corners in the NFL since they were drafted in 2022. Rams writer Wyatt Miller shared a chart that visualizes where each player ranks among all cornerbacks in tight window percentage forced and yards per coverage snap allowed, two key metrics.
Both Rams corners are in the upper right quadrant of the chart, putting them in the company of some top cornerbacks.
Darious Williams was the only other Rams corner in the top right, with Ahkello Witherspoon being in the lower left and Cobie Durant all alone in the lower right. That shows Witherspoon allows a lot of yards per coverage snap, while Durant struggles with forcing tight-window throws.
Roger McCreary is somewhere in the middle, ranking as a league-average corner.
The Rams’ secondary should be much better in 2026 with McDuffie and Watson taking over the top two spots, though it’s possible McCreary, Durant or Witherspoon could still return as backups. Quentin Lake should keep manning the slot, with Kam Curl and Kamren Kinchens as the top safeties.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Chart shows Rams’ new CBs rank among NFL’s best since 2022
Reporting by Cameron DaSilva, Rams Wire / Rams Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
