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Rams Defender Feared to Have Season-Ending Injury at Training Camp

A 2023 starter from the Rams defense may already be out for the season after suffering a potential torn ACL at training camp.

By Jason Schandl

East Rutherford, NJ December 31, 2023 -- Rams head coach Sean McVay on the field during pre game warm ups. The New York Giants host the Los Angeles Rams on December 31, 2023 at at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ.
East Rutherford, NJ December 31, 2023 -- Rams head coach Sean McVay on the field during pre game warm ups. The New York Giants host the Los Angeles Rams on December 31, 2023 at at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ. / Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com / USA
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Training camp is one of the most exciting times of the year in the NFL world. After a long offseason, fans are finally getting to see their teams back out on the practice field taking significant reps. The roster starts to shape up for the season ahead, and it's a sign that real, honest-to-goodness NFL game action is just around the corner.

Of course there's also a side to training camp we all hate: the injuries. It's always gutwrenching to see a player suffer a significant injury before the season kicks off, and doubly so when that injury is season-ending. That worst-case scenario may have already popped up for one Los Angeles Rams defender.

Rams News: Derion Kendrick Suffers Potential Torn ACL in Training Camp

Los Angeles Rams corner Derion Kendrick is feared to have suffered a torn ACL in Wednesday's training camp practice. Additional testing will attempt to confirm the diagnosis, but that would be a season-ending blow for the 2022 sixth-round pick.

Despite his low draft status, Kendrick emerged as a legitimate contributor in his rookie season, starting six games. That role expanded last year, when he made 12 starts and was on the field for 76% of the Rams' defensive snaps. Only Akhello Witherspoon played more snaps at the position.

This obviously makes the injury a big blow for the Rams defense. You almost never see a "feared torn ACL" end up being diagnosed as something less serious, and even a downgraded diagnosis would likely remain a significant one that will cost Kendrick plenty of time.

Of course, Kendrick struggled at times last season, and playing a big role in a secondary that really struggled against the pass isn't necessarily a sign that you want a player to continue starting.

This injury further clarifies that the Rams' top two cornerbacks in 2024 will be Tre'Davious White and Darious Williams — two newcomers to L.A.

Rams Cornerback Depth Chart

The Rams haven't even released an unofficial depth chart for the offseason yet, but the depth chart for the outside cornerback likely looks something like this:

  1. Tre'Davious White (Starter)
  2. Darious Williams (Starter)
  3. Tre Tomlinson
  4. Shaun Jolly
  5. Cameron McCutcheon
  6. Cam Lampkin/Charles Woods

That's not including Cobie Durant and Quentin Lake, who project as the starting and backup slot corner, respectively.

Even without Kendrick (who would have been slotted in at No. 3 on the outside), this is still shaping up to be a stronger unit than the Rams boasted last season.

After finishing the season with the NFL's worst coverage grade, per PFF, the Rams made sure to make significant additions with White and Williams. Both are starters with significant experience, and both graded out very well in coverage (79.0 for White, 85.3 for Williams) in coverage in 2023.

Rams fans will be hoping for the best with Kendrick's injury, but at this point it looks like L.A. will have to prepare as though he will miss the entire season.

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