Can Rams Rookie CB Tre'Vius Hodges-Tomlinson Play Meaningful Snaps?

Tre'Vius Hodges-Tomlinson may have opportunities on Sundays in the Rams depleted secondary

Los Angeles Rams selected TCU cornerback Tre'Vius Hodges-Tomlinson with the 182nd pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, hoping to make an improvement to their depleted secondary.

The Rams allowed the 12th-most receiving yards in the NFL last season. That doesn't sound too bad, but six-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jalen Ramsey was a big reason why they weren't at the top of that category. Ramsey went to the Miami Dolphins this offseason, so Los Angeles must find a way to lock down receivers without him.

It's still uncertain who will be the three starting cornerbacks for 2023, but Derion Kendrick, Cobie Durant, Robert Rochell and free-agent pickup Ahkello Witherspoon are the finalists. The Rams are one of the few teams in the league whose best cornerback isn't much better than their worst one.

Having a rookie sixth-round pick start at cornerback in Week 1 is not very common, no matter how good/bad the secondary unit is. However, if one of those four gets injured, Hodges-Tomlinson is a solid option as a backup.

When you see Hodges-Tomlinson's 5-foot-8, 178-pound physique, he doesn't scream "football player". However, that wasn't the case at TCU.

In his final season, Hodges-Tomlinson recorded 50 tackles, 15 pass breakups (fourth-most in the NCAA) and three interceptions. His efforts earned him the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation's top defensive back.

Hodges-Tomlinson's ability to lock onto receivers at TCU was among the best in college football as he allowed just 28 catches-out-of-81 targets on 548 coverage snaps. His 4.41 40-yard dash time proves that he can stick with NFL receivers on vertical routes as well.

The rookie is confident he'll do more than just play meaningful snaps in the near future.

"I'm gonna make sure that this pick right here is gonna be one of the greatest picks they ever had," Hodges-Tomlinson said. "I'm gonna continue to show others why they shouldn't have passed up on me."

The main reason for Hodges-Tomlinson slid in the NFL Draft was due to his penalty numbers. The refs threw the yellow flag toward him 14 times last season, an absurdly high number.

If he can't figure out how to prevent the penalties, he may struggle in the NFL. However, should he solve the issue, he has the talent to stay with receivers in this league and has the stats to back it up.

The Rams are widely considered to have one of, if not the worst secondaries in the NFL. Should one of the likely starters struggle/get hurt, Hodges-Tomlinson might be a solid option to play meaningful snaps in 2023.

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