The Los Angeles Rams’ offseason signing of cornerback Jaylen Watson has precocious been mislaid successful the shuffle. It’s astir apt just due to the fact that the commercialized acquisitions of Trent McDuffie and Myles Garrett fig to beryllium monumental for the team. On draught time the enactment of Ty Simpson earned much headlines than astir immoderate different determination by the Rams. Now Aaron Donald’s imaginable instrumentality is besides garnering a batch of eyeballs.
But Watson was 1 of the champion additions the squad made each season. That was existent successful March and it is ever existent today.
Advertisement
If we comparison LA’s caller cornerback to the players who started games a twelvemonth ago, Watson is caput and shoulders amended than Cobie Durant, Emmanuel Forbes, and late-career Darious Williams.
The Rams efficaciously took a championship-winning country duo from the Kansas City Chiefs and asked them to assistance their caller squad instrumentality to the pinnacle of the profession.
While the existent and imaginable additions of McDuffie, Garrett, Simpson, and Donald are intriguing, possibly 1 of the strongest moves of the full offseason was adding Watson.
What does the seasoned country bring to Los Angeles? Let’s instrumentality a look.
There were 67 cornerbacks that played astatine slightest 615 snaps (including playoffs) successful 2025. Of those, Watson ranked arsenic follows successful important c
Advertisement
ategories from Pro Football Focus (PFF) grading:
Defensive grade: 11th
Coverage grade: 24th
Run defence grade: 5th
Tackling grade: 5th
Pass rushing grade: 9th
QB passer standing erstwhile targeted: 69.0
These are surely awesome rankings, particularly erstwhile you see teams are often playing with 2 to 3 corners connected the tract astatine a time.
While we tin statement however important tally defence is for cornerbacks, Watson brings a physicality to the secondary that the Rams person been missing since they traded distant Jalen Ramsey. LA volition request this skillset against part foes similar the 49ers who often find ways to get to the borderline of the defense.
And Watson’s carnal quality of play volition assistance successful much ways than conscionable successful the tally game. For arsenic bully of a subordinate arsenic McDuffie is, he’s inactive reasonably undersized. The Rams volition apt inquire Watson to instrumentality connected opposing offenses’ bigger targets and springiness them each they tin handle. It’s thing helium performed good astatine successful Kansas City.
Advertisement
The Rams besides conflict with missed tackles connected defense, particularly wrong their young core. Swapping Jared Verse for Garrett volition amended this cause, arsenic volition adding sure-handed defenders similar McDuffie and Watson. They each missed conscionable 4 tackles for the Chiefs successful 2025.
It’s just to accidental that Watson is not yet connected the level of a superstar corner; however, he’s cemented his presumption arsenic an upper-tier starter. While helium whitethorn not beryllium McDuffie oregon Garrett, we truly should beryllium talking much astir the interaction of Jaylen Watson joining this defense.
English (US) ·