WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. - - — The talk of the Rams defense during training camp has been a lot about the greatness of Myles Garret and the potential return of Rams legend Aaron Donald.
But, the group that has stood out the most on that side of the ball is the secondary.
Going up against last season’s MVP Matthew Stafford and star wideouts Puka Nacua and Davante Adams alongside a plethora of talented tight ends most practices is a tall challenge but the group has stood its ground.
New additions Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson have clearly elevated the group with their sticky coverage and their championship pedigree.
McDuffie has really starred for a unit that had its struggles to end the year.
"I can honestly say I don't know if I'll get a better look than what I get from Trent out there," Adams said. "I don't like putting big expectations, bulletin board material or any of that but at the end of the day, I can't remember the last time I felt about another corner the way I feel about him."
Nacua is someone who has known the two-time champion since their college days together at the University of Washington and has seen him grow into the All Pro player that he is today.
"It's [McDuffie's] ability to have patience at the line of scrimmage," Nacua said when asked about the growth of McDuffie's game. “I think that's something that Coach talks about all the time, especially in the DB room. When that ball is in the air you can see the body tense up and how they react when the ball is in the air, the look and lean. It's something that he stays patient and in that deep ball rep that we had the other day of him running and saying you got to take it all the way to the ground.
Defensive coordinator Chris Shula has loved the way the star wide receivers has challenged his star cornerback.
"It seems like mutual respect to me. Especially (wide receiver Davante Adams) and Puka, when (cornerback Trent McDuffie) is covering those guys, you see Trent's right on them, they make a great catch, you almost see them fist bump after,” Shula said. “Sometimes Trent gets a PBU, you can just tell the respect they have for each other, and they're pushing each other to be better every single day."
McDuffie isn’t the only secondary member garnering attention for his play as safety Kamren Kitchens has been a player who has played well throughout camp catching the eye of coach McVay.
“He's been really good. He's had great range. He's dropping down in a man coverage and ended up being able to play visual and overlap,” McVay said. “You can see he's healthy, he's feeling good. Whether he's playing in the deep part of the field or the intermediate, you feel him, he's flashing. I've been really pleased with Kam.”
With the improvement in the back end veteran safety Quentin Lake still understands that the play upfront will help them excel.
“Our job really is just to not [expletive] up, honestly," Lake said. "All the attention is on them. Your back end is, honestly, as good as your rush. If you have guys up there that can get to the quarterback quickly, that can stop the run and rush the passer, it makes our job incredibly easy."
Lake came into the camp fully healthy after offseason elbow surgery and has taken on a leadership role in camp as the group's most experienced returning piece. His voice has been heard throughout camp getting guys in the right place and being a coach-like figure on the field for the defense.
With talented players and great communication in the secondary the sky is the limit for a group that will be important to slow down some of the best offenses in football that can be found in the NFC.