Los Angeles Rams: Justin Hollins primed for a breakout season

The Los Angeles Rams stole linebacker prospect Justin Hollins off of waivers last offseason, and he could be primed for a breakout in 2021.

The Los Angeles Rams are coming off of a tremendous season defensively, one that has flown way under the radar due to a variety of different circumstances. First and foremost, the team lost defensive coordinator Brandon Staley, the one calling the shots for the unit, to the Los Angeles Chargers this offseason.

The other reason no one is really focusing on the Rams’ defense all that much? Well, they made arguably the boldest move of the 2021 offseason, trading for Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford.

Another reason the Los Angeles Rams’ defense is flying under the radar? There’s a decent amount of turnover on that roster defensively, especially in the secondary. The Rams lost safety John Johnson III and cornerback Troy Hill to the Cleveland Browns. They also lost outside linebacker Samson Ebukam to their division rival San Francisco 49ers.

Ebukam was the team’s starter at outside linebacker opposite Leonard Floyd, though there was a healthy rotation off the edge for the Rams last season between Ebukam, Justin Hollins, Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, and Terrell Lewis.

With Ebukam departed in free agency, there’s a good chance that one of those other guys is going to break out this season opposite Leonard Floyd, and Hollins should be the odds-on favorite to do so.

Los Angeles Rams: Justin Hollins a breakout player in 2021?

Hollins was picked in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos who, at the time, employed Brandon Staley as their outside linebackers coach. Staley had a hand in drafting Hollins, so when the Broncos cut the former Oregon Ducks star ahead of the 2020 season, the Rams and Staley were happy to scoop him up.

Hollins ended up playing 349 snaps, just a handful less than Ebukam, in his first year with the Rams.

He finished last season with 28 total tackles, three sacks, five QB hits, and five pressures. The Rams put his athleticism to use, sending him on a blitz on 10 percent of his defensive snaps.

Can Hollins develop into a more well-rounded edge player and absorb the 350-plus snaps left behind by Samson Ebukam?

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Hollins undoubtedly has the athletic talent to succeed in a more full-time role and he can bring both speed and power off the edge. The Rams will need him — or someone — to step up in a big way opposite Leonard Floyd again this season.

Hollins did a tremendous job in a part-time role his first year in Los Angeles. The Rams could seemingly do no wrong on that side of the ball and Staley did a masterful job of deploying the variety of weapons at his disposal as well as maximizing the talent of guys who may have otherwise been cast off of other rosters.

Guys like Hollins, who could now be poised to play massive roles in 2021.