Rams Rookie CB Robert Rochell Will Endure Big Test in Coming Weeks

Rams rookie cornerback Robert Rochell is going to have to step up in a big way following the injury to Darious Williams.

Hunter Hodies | Oct 12, 2021

The Rams' secondary took a big hit this week as cornerback Darious Williams has been placed on injured reserve. Williams hurt his ankle late in the fourth quarter against the Seattle Seahawks last Thursday and coach Sean McVay said on Monday that he'll miss some time.

Williams will be a tough player to replace as he gets the second toughest assignment behind Jalen Ramsey. McVay said during his weekly presser on Monday that he would look toward implementing a committee approach, and one of those players will be Robert Rochell. He got his first NFL start of the season against Seattle and put up numbers that should be able to improve moving forward. Rochell finished the contest with two tackles and one pass defended while playing 83% of the defensive snaps. He also allowed five completions on seven attempts that went for 56 yards and a touchdown.

That said, this was against the Seahawks who have one of the more deadly receivers duos in the NFL in DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. It'll be a bit different in Week 6 as the Giants are one of the most banged-up teams in football. Receiver Kenny Golladay, running back Saquon Barkley, and quarterback Daniel Jones all have their own ailments and it's unknown if they'll be able to suit up.

Even if they do, they all won't be at 100% and Sterling Shepard is another receiver that has missed time of late as well. This is a perfect matchup for Rochell to gather a multitude of reps and improve on his play from last Thursday.

The favorable matchups won't stop there, though. After this game against New York, the Rams will play the Lions (Matthew Stafford's revenge game) and then the Texans, who are having quarterback problems. Both teams don't have strong receiving corps which means Rochell will face more favorable matchups. It also allows Williams adequate time to rest before coming back for the stretch run.

Overall, this is still a win for the Rams as they get to see what they have in this young cornerback, while Williams has adequate time to focus on his recovery period. These are all games L.A. will be favored in and it wouldn't be a surprise to see the team at 7-1 going into the Titans Week 9 game on Nov. 7. Who knows, maybe Rochell will snag a pick or two and prove he's capable to start long-term.

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Published Oct 12, 2021

HUNTER HODIES

Hunter covers the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated.