6 inside linebackers for Rams to watch at NFL combine
· Yahoo Sports
The Los Angeles Rams struck gold last offseason when they signed Nate Landman to a veteran minimum contract, which he parlayed into a three-year extension with the team during the season. He quickly became a leader on defense and was voted a team captain, elevating a position that has troubled the Rams for several years.
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He's sticking around for the foreseeable future, but the Rams could upgrade from Omar Speights as the No. 2 linebacker. If they can find someone with better range and coverage skills, Los Angeles will become much better at defending the middle of the field.
Here are six prospects to watch at the combine Thursday.
Kyle Louis, Pitt
Louis is perhaps the most intriguing linebacker prospect for the Rams. He's clearly undersized at just 6 feet, 220 pounds, and some might even view him as a safety, but he'd fit the mold of safety-linebacker tweeners that have played for the Rams before – the likes of Mark Barron and Travin Howard.
He's fluid in coverage and has good speed to go sideline to sideline, making him a nice complement to a downhill player such as Landman.
Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech
Rodriguez had outstanding production in college, recording 127 and 128 tackles in the last two years, with four interceptions in 2025 alone. He has great range and ball skills as a second-level defender, forcing a whopping seven fumbles last season to go with those four interceptions.
The Rams need a guy with good range next to the more limited Landman and Rodriguez is the type of player who can solidify the middle of the defense.
Harold Perkins Jr., LSU
Perkins is another small linebacker who plays with impressive speed and pursuit – though, a torn ACL in 2024 has seemed to hinder his athleticism. He was once viewed as a blue-chip prospect early in his LSU career but with his stock taking a hit lately, he's far less of a sure thing.
With his versatility as a blitzer and the ability to drop back into coverage, Perkins fits well with what the Rams might be looking for at the position.
Jake Golday, Cincinnati
Golday is more of a traditional middle linebacker at 6-4, 239 pounds, but he has the athleticism that still makes him a viable option next to Landman. In two years at Cincinnati, he had 163 tackles, 13 tackles for a loss and five sacks, consistently making plays around the line of scrimmage.
The Rams could use someone with his explosiveness at the linebacker position.
Kaleb Elarms-Orr, TCU
Elarms-Orr is a developmental prospect who's likely to go later in the draft, but his athleticism makes him worth watching. He plays with good range and covers a ton of ground, something the Rams struggled with at times last season when teams ran outside the tackles.
Deontae Lawson, Alabama
Like many of the other linebackers on this list, Lawson would fit best as a linebacker who plays in space on the weak side. He has the range to make plays all over the field, which could entice the Rams as they search for a potential upgrade over Speights, who's more limited laterally.
With five years of experience at Alabama, he's a proven defender who finished his career with 283 tackles and 19 tackles for a loss to go with 16.5 sacks.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: NFL combine: 6 linebackers for Rams to watch