2. Joseph Noteboom, OL
Noteboom was a third round pick by the Rams in the 2018 draft and has fluctuated between guard and tackle throughout his career. While he’s held a starting spot on multiple occasions, a lengthy injury history has gotten in the way in helping him fulfill his potential.
After serving as a backup in his rookie season, Noteboom was tabbed as the starter at left guard in 2019 before suffering a torn ACL and MCL. Noteboom returned to his starting spot at the beginning of the 2020 season but was limited to 10 games (nine starts) due to a calf injury).
Noteboom finally stayed healthy on the Rams’ run to the Super Bowl in 2021 and had his best season as a pro, posting career-highs in overall grade (77.7) and pass-blocking grade (81.6) with a serviceable 68.5 run-blocking grade according to Pro Football Focus.
The timing was perfect as Noteboom signed a three-year, $40 million contract extension but more injuries followed. The TCU product suffered a torn Achilles in the first year of the deal before recording a 52.3 overall grade in 2023. An ankle injury sidelined him for most of this past season but Noteboom was one of the Rams worst pass blockers, posting a 46.9 pass blocking grade in four games at left tackle this season.
The laundry list of injuries and inconsistent performance doesn’t mean good things for the 29-year-old. With his contract expiring, it’s probably time to move on and the Rams will likely have to find a long-term answer at offensive tackle in free agency or the draft.