Quality Rookies Have Taken Over Rams' Defense

The Los Angeles Rams won their third consecutive contest on Sunday, defeating their NFC West rival Seattle Seahawks 26-20 in overtime. The Rams have dragged themselves out of a 1-4 hole and currently reside in second place in the division. The playoffs are well within reach.

Receiving contributions from an outstanding rookie class has helped Sean McVay turn this season around. Five defensive rookies in particular were impressive versus the Seahawks. They have the makings of one helluva class.

Jared Verse

First-round pass rusher Jared Verse was his usual dominant self versus the Seahawks. The former Florida State standout tied a previous season-high mark of seven pressures. Verse recorded a sack for a second consecutive contest and was a routine pain in the backside for Geno Smith.

Verse currently leads all rookie defenders in pressures (39) and sacks. Verse has posted a pass-rush-win-rate (PRWR) of 20% this season, ninth-best in the entire league among all qualifying edge defenders, according to ESPN Stats & Info. The versatile defensive lineman also ranks third in run-stop win rate (RSWR) among his peers. He's the overwhelming favorite to win Defensive Rookie of the Year honors.

Braden Fiske

Nothing captures how impressive this Rams rookie class is better than this. Defensive tackle Braden Fiske ranks second among all rookies in QB pressures (26), trailing just Verse. General manager Les Snead drafted an inside-outside duo that will wreak havoc for years to come.

Fiske has also qualified for ESPN's pass-run-win-rate and run-stop-win-rate leaderboards. He's seventh in PRWR at 12% and sixth in RSWR. Fiske had a career-high two sacks versus the Seahawks. If it wasn't for how dominant his teammate Verse has been, he'd be entering the DROY conversation himself.

Kam Kinchens

Snead drafted safety Kam Kinchens in the third round to join a secondary that possessed more questions than answers. Beginning the season in a part-time role, Kinchens came on particularly strong versus the Seahawks. He played a career-high 41 snaps and maximized his opportunity.

With the game tied at 13 apiece in the fourth quarter, Kinchens intercepted a Smith pass for a 103-yard pick-six touchdown. Kinchens is competing for snaps behind regular defensive backfield starters Quentin Lake and Kam Curl. Game-swinging plays like returning interceptions for touchdowns help his cause.

Jaylen McCollough

Jaylen McCollough is an undrafted safety who played collegiately at Tennessee. He signed with the Rams as a UDFA and was one of four un-draftees to make the 53-man roster. McCollough had played sparingly up until Sunday, but recent performances have him jockeying for increased play-time.

McCollough totaled a career-high seven tackles versus the Seahawks. His interception of Smith was his fourth in the previous four outings. McCollough leads all rookies in interceptions, becoming the 10th rookie since 2000 to record four interceptions in his first eight career contests. He is also the first undrafted player to accomplish the feat since 1981, per the Rams' PR team.

Tyler Davis

Sixth-round rookie defensive tackle Tyler Davis is playing a rotational role behind Fiske. The former Clemson performer has totaled a helpful 96 snaps in seven appearances this season. Davis made his presence felt against Seattle, racking up a season-high four tackles and the first half-sack of his career.

Davis combined strength with quickness to be disruptive at Clemson. His latest performance indicates he's beginning to show signs of acclimating to professional football. Snead has another rookie contributor in Davis on his hands.