Los Angeles Rams: Earnest Brown IV can earn prominent role

The Los Angeles Rams had the number one defense in the NFL in 2020. Defensive coordinator Brandon Staley, in his first year on the job, called the shots for a unit that averaged only 18.5 points allowed per game, 282 yards per game, and just 17.5 first downs per game.

The Los Angeles Rams defense was dominant in all areas in 2020, but they are going to have to endure some significant losses and changes in 2021.

The first and foremost loss is Staley himself, who bolted (pun fully intended) for the Los Angeles Chargers in the 2021 offseason when offered the chance to become an NFL head coach.

Along with Staley, the Rams lost some key members of their vaunted secondary in safety John Johnson III and Troy Hill, who both left for the Cleveland Browns.

The Rams also said goodbye to veteran defensive lineman Michael Brockers, who was traded in a salary cap dump to the Detroit Lions for a 2023 seventh-round pick.

Los Angeles Rams: Earnest Brown IV can have prominent role

Needless to say, new Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris will have his work cut out for him to keep this defense close to where it was a season ago. Wade Phillips also did a great job with the Rams’ defense, but with all of these changes, which players are going to step up?

It appears as though the Rams are ready to put their faith in Morris’ scheme as well as the help of some really young players, including 2021 NFL Draft pick Earnest Brown IV.

Brown was a three-year starter at Northwestern who played 27 total games over the last three seasons and racked up 18.5 tackles for loss and 7.0 sacks in that timeframe.

At 6-foot-4, 270 pounds, Brown has pretty average size for a defensive end and he didn’t blow anyone away with his pre-draft metrics.

The Rams are losing over 600 snaps with the departure of Michael Brockers, and while Aaron Donald will continue to dominate snaps for the Los Angeles defense, he’s going to need players like Brown to do all they can to take advantage of the double-teams he commands.

Brown is a high-effort, heavy-handed defensive end prospect with some really intriguing outside-to-inside versatility potential.

Rams scouts and executives envision an early and versatile role for Brown, and their confidence in his ability to immediately contribute is something that has allowed the Rams to not have a first-round pick since the 2016 NFL Draft.

Los Angeles does such a good job with day two and day three draft picks that they have remained a championship contender despite not having a first-round pick since they took Jared Goff.

Those first-round picks haven’t been eliminated, of course, they have been used elsewhere. But with that being said, it’s players like Earnest Brown who come in and contribute right away that make this Rams team so unique.