Ram Digest

Rams Undrafted WR Making Case For Roster Spot

He impressed during Saturday's preseason game.

Eva Geitheim

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
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With the Los Angeles Rams trailing 9-6 in the fourth quarter, wide receiver JJ Laap hauled in a 47-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Stetson Bennett, a touchdown that proved to be the game-winner.

Laap finished the game with two receptions for 50 yards and the touchdown, bringing in the first two catches of his NFL career. The preseason is often said not to matter, but that narrative could not prove more untrue for the undrafted free agent out of a D-III school.

"I've been waiting for an opportunity like that, honestly, my entire life, and I was just thinking, 'go make a play,' and I came down with it," Laap said, via Rams.com's Stu Jackson. "Man, that was awesome."

"To be able to go out there and do it on the big stage, man, that was awesome," Laap said. "So I knew before the play, [before] it was snapped, I knew it was go time. I knew I might have an opportunity when that ball was in the air."

Laap played DIII football for the SUNY Courtland Red Dragons. He caught 70 passes for 1,291 yards and 14 touchdowns in his final season, helping lead the Red Dragons to a D-III national championship. Despite a strong season, playing for a D-III school played a part in Laap going undrafted, meaning he would have a long road for a shot at making his NFL dreams a reality.

Thanks to the preseason, Laap had the chance to put himself on the radar of the Rams and his coaches.

"He's got a great spirit, you know?" Rams head coach McVay said. "I gotta give a ton of credit to (Director of Pro Scouting) John McKay and our scouting staff and (Director of Scouting) James Gladstone, they do a great job identifying a lot of these undrafted free agents. JJ Laap was a guy that, he's got speed, he's got a great demeanor and disposition. I'm sure he was a fun guy if you guys talked to him afterwards. I mean, he is a true Jersey guy through and through, isn't he? But you love him. His demeanor and his spirit is great. He's gotten better."

Of course, the lone touchdown catch far from guarantees a roster spot for Laap. The Rams have plenty of competition on their wide receiver depth chart, including from rookie sixth-round pick Jordan Whittington and 2023 undrafted free agent Xavier Smith, who have each had impressive camps and preseasons. Still, this touchdown puts Laap's name on the map.

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Eva Geitheim

EVA GEITHEIM

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