The Los Angeles Rams routinely string together one of the biggest classes of undrafted free agents across the NFL. Last year, they signed a league-high 26 undrafted players. This year, they initially agreed to terms with 16 even after making 10 selections in the 2024 NFL Draft. The Rams do things differently, but former LSU linebacker Omar Speights has a terrific opportunity to compete for a 53-man roster spot.
Speights transferred to LSU ahead of the 2023 college football season after four successful campaigns at Oregon State. He immediately became a leader in the Tigers locker room and earned the respect of his teammates. Quickly establishing himself as an every-down defender in the SEC, Speights totaled 70 tackles. He departs college ball with 378 career tackles, seven pass breakups, 5.0 sacks, and three interceptions.
Speights is severely undersized, which likely contributed to his undrafted status—the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania native measured in at 6-foot and 225 pounds at LSU’s Pro Day. Speights then displayed decent athleticism, running a 4.65 40 with splits of 2.62 and 1.58. He also had a 10-foot broad jump and ran a rock-solid 7.07 3-cone.
Omar Speights is a LB prospect in the 2024 draft class. He scored a 7.95 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 592 out of 2889 LB from 1987 to 2024. https://t.co/Gyu4M3WHYP pic.twitter.com/p8FlFQqHxf
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) April 22, 2024
What Speights lacks in elite athleticism he evens the odds with advanced technique and football IQ. He's a hustle player with terrific straight-line speed and plays with a sense of decisiveness, committing to defending his gaps. It makes Speights a candidate to be an excellent gunner on special teams.
The Rams do not possess terrific depth at the off-ball linebacker position. Last year's primary starters were Ernest Jones IV and Christian Rozeboom. Jones is among the most underrated defenders in the NFL, but Rozeboom wasn't even trusted to play 50% of all Rams defensive plays (550 snaps, 48.50%, per Pro Football Reference). The same pairing is currently penciled in as the starters for a second straight season.
Pro Football Focus assigned Rozeboom a run-stopping grade of 42.4 last year and a coverage score of 52.8. The third-string linebacker is Troy Reeder, who has routinely been exposed as a liability, particularly in coverage. Reeder shouldn't even be guaranteed a 53-man roster spot heading into 2024.
Jake Hummel, a former 2022 undrafted free agent, is on the roster as the fourth linebacker. He was limited to 43 defensive snaps last season but played a significantly larger role on special teams (team-high 373 snaps). Olakunle Fatukasi, another special-teams-only player, was signed to a futures/reserve contract. There's no reason why Speights can't surpass Reeder, Hummel, and Fatukasi on the depth chart.
The Rams did not draft a single off-ball linebacker despite making 10 total picks, nor was one signed in unrestricted free agency. Speights was just one of two undrafted signings at the position (Marshall's Elias Neal). Speights possesses the pathway and skill set required to play his way onto the 53-man roster if he enjoys impressive training camp and preseason periods.
Other Rams undrafted free agents worth monitoring throughout the summer include cornerback Josh Wallace, nose tackle Tuli Letuligasenoa, and offensive tackle Blake Larson.
