The Los Angeles Rams entered the offseason addressing numerous roster needs, but one critical area has emerged as a potential vulnerability: the offensive line.
Despite returning all five starters from a unit that supported the league's highest-scoring offense and a career season for quarterback Matthew Stafford, concerns linger about the depth behind them. The Rams made significant upgrades elsewhere, including a blockbuster trade for Myles Garrett, but paid less attention to fortifying their offensive line.
Nate Atkins of The Athletic identified this lack of depth as a primary concern for an otherwise talented roster. "I do think it’s gotten concerning here because not only did they not really add to that in the offseason, but I’d say their top two backups are the guys who they just put on injured reserve," Atkins stated on "NFL Spotlight."
The team's top two backup offensive linemen, rookie tackle Keagen Trost and interior lineman Justin Dedich, are both expected to miss at least the first four games of the season due to injury. This leaves veteran David Quessenberry, who has seen limited playing time and no starts in the past two seasons, as the primary swing tackle.
Further complicating matters is the potential absence of left tackle Alaric Jackson. Jackson is currently under NFL review following an arrest on suspicion of felony domestic violence in June. While prosecutors declined to pursue felony charges, the NFL's disciplinary process remains separate. Jackson previously served a two-game suspension in 2024, and another absence would be particularly challenging with Trost sidelined.
The Rams' second-team offensive line reportedly struggled against pressure during joint practices with the Cowboys and Saints, yet the team did not pursue a veteran tackle in response.
Head coach Sean McVay has expressed confidence in the team's depth, but Atkins remains skeptical. "They must be seeing more than what I’ve been able to see," he said.
The stakes are high given the player the offensive line is tasked with protecting. Stafford, entering his 18th season at age 38, manages a degenerative back condition. Although he had a strong 2025 season with 4,707 passing yards and 46 touchdowns, he is largely a pocket passer, having rushed only 10 times over the past two seasons. While his back is reportedly in better condition than the previous year, Atkins noted the issue has not disappeared. "You don’t talk to many people who say, ‘I used to have back issues,’" Atkins said.
This situation amplifies the potential risk of the Rams' offseason strategy. "If you have an offensive line injury that leads to a Matthew Stafford injury," Atkins warned, "that to me is like the one way that this super talented team could see things just kind of fall apart a little bit."