The question the Los Angeles Rams had coming into the season was how this young defensive group will look like.
The Rams took a massive loss with Aaron Donald retiring after last season.
What excited the Rams head coach Sean McVay, and the rest of the Rams staff was seeing what they got on defense with the young group.
The Rams struggled early on this season. The defense looked like they did not have much chemistry. And they also were one of the worst teams at stopping the run.
But as the season has gone on the defense has been better. The Rams defense has looked its best during the Rams winning streak. Every young player on defense has had a chance to make the most of their opportunity.
Rams rookie linebacker Omar Speights has made the most of the opportunity that defensive coordinator Chris Shula is giving him. A sign of good drafting and player development on the Rams' part.
Speights has played his best games in the last two weeks. Speights was part of the huge stop in overtime last Sunday against the Seahawks.
"I think all he has done is maximize his opportunities," said McVay. "And that goes for a lot of these young guys that just seem like they are in the right spot at the right time. But there is a physicality. There is violence when he arrives. He has got a good concept trigger and what a great job being able to kind of just go over the top and then you know, to be able to have the contact balance. And then to be able to get knockback right there. That is why you get the stop. And that is why our offense gets the ball back."
Speights, a rookie out of LSU, and his young teammates continue to grow and help the Rams get back on offense.
"The ability of guys to just play the next snap. You know especially because we get a false start and then they hit an explosive play. They are in a scoring position. And there are a lot of reasons for guys to just say, oh man, you kind of turn it off and I never sense that. This group has amazing resilience amazing, authentic energy, and enthusiasm."
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/rams/ as Rams Rookie Making the Most of His Opportunities.