When the Los Angeles Rams add rookies in the draft, they don’t typically expect them to contribute in a big way in Year 1. Les Snead and Sean McVay like to draft a year or two in advance, knowing those players will be asked to step up eventually after starters depart in free agency.
For these five players, that time could be now.
The Rams will need players to step up after the team suffered several free-agent losses, creating voids on the roster. These five younger players could take a leap forward in 2022 thanks to potentially bigger roles.
CB Robert Rochell
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Rochell could be a critical part of the Rams defense next season. Darious Williams is gone and David Long Jr. isn’t a lock to start at cornerback. Rochell was a fourth-round pick last year and made five starts, but he was limited to just 11 games due to injury.
The Rams drafted Rochell to eventually be a starter opposite Jalen Ramsey and that time could come in 2022. He has the athleticism and…