The Los Angeles Rams are getting in their final preparation for Week 1 of the regular season, gearing up to host the Houston Texans on Sunday afternoon. Ahead of this weekend’s matchup, the Rams released their first unofficial depth chart of the regular season.
It’s not put together by the coaching staff, which is why it’s classified as “unofficial,” but it does give us an idea of who the starters are and who the backups will be. Most positions come with no surprises whatsoever, but others have some interesting listings.
Here’s a look at the Rams’ Week 1 depth chart before they face the Texans.
Quarterback
No surprises here. Stafford is the starter, with Garoppolo the clear-cut backup and Bennett as the third option. Bennett will likely be inactive on game days unless one of the other two quarterbacks is out.
Running back
Williams, Corum and Hunter remain in that order for Week 1, and it’s expected to stay that way for a while. Unless Hunter can overtake Corum at some point this season, this group should stay set for the foreseeable future.
Wide receiver
Atwell is still the No. 3 receiver heading into Week 1, though Jordan Whittington could get opportunities to contribute on offense, too. Smith is also a gadget player who could carve out a role in certain packages.
Tight end
This depth chart is unofficial, which means it isn’t put out by the coaching staff, so don’t buy too much into the fact that Ferguson is No. 4 at tight end. He’s still expected to contribute as a rookie behind Higbee, especially when the Rams go to 12 personnel with two tight ends on the field.
Offensive line
Humphries and Quessenberry are co-backups at left tackle, which wasn’t the case previously. That’s a sign of Quessenberry playing well and getting reps with the second-team offense behind Jackson.
Defensive line
Chris Shula said he considers Tyler Davis one of the Rams’ four defensive line starters, but considering they run a 3-4, he’s technically a backup behind the three starters of Fiske, Ford and Turner.
Outside linebacker
Depth isn’t great at outside linebacker but the Rams have a ton of confidence in their young group of edge rushers. Verse and Young will play most of the snaps, with Stewart likely to be the first guy off the bench.
Inside linebacker
Landman and Speights have been viewed as the starters for just about the entire offseason, leaving Reeder and Dolac as the backups. Neither Reeder nor Dolac are likely to play defensive snaps unless one of the starters gets hurt or struggles mightily, but they will help on special teams.
Cornerback
Sean McVay said recently that he thinks the Rams have four starting cornerbacks in Witherspoon, Durant, Williams and Forbes. And the depth chart reflects that with an “or” designation at each spot. Look for the Rams to use all four players early in the season to find out which combination works best.
Safety
Lake is technically a safety but he plays the slot as a nickel defender, so he’s almost more of a cornerback. He, Curl and Kinchens will all play significant snaps, with McCollough coming in for dime packages as a hybrid linebacker.
Special teams
This depth chart gives us some clarty on the return specialist situation where Smith looks like the punt returner and Whittington and Corum both returning kickoffs – since teams always have two players back there to receive. Interestingly, Mumpfield is the backup punt returner.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Rams release updated depth chart for Week 1 of 2025 season
Reporting by Cameron DaSilva, Rams Wire / Rams Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
