6 Rams make PFF’s top 101 players from 2023

6 Rams make PFF’s top 101 players from 2023, led by Puka Nacua

Cameron DaSilva

6 Rams make PFF’s top 101 players from 2023, led by Puka Nacua

The 2023 season went much better than expected for the Los Angeles Rams, finishing 10-7 and reaching the playoffs after coming up short in 2022. A big reason for the quick turnaround was the play of not just their top players, but also their young studs from the draft.

Pro Football Focus’ list of the top 101 players of 2023 puts into perspective just how good some of the Rams’ stars were, both young and old. Six Rams players made PFF’s list, led by none other than Puka Nacua at No. 21 overall. He was the highest-ranked rookie, and one of two Rams rookies to earn a spot in PFF’s rankings.

Below are the six Rams to make the cut, including excerpts from PFF’s analysts.

95. G Kevin Dotson

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Dotson was a game-changer for the Rams after taking over as the starter at right guard, replacing Joe Noteboom in Week 4. He excelled in the run game and was excellent in pass protection, only allowing more than two pressures in one game.

During his time in Pittsburgh, Dotson was a consistently outstanding pass protector but posted below-average PFF grades in the run game. His first year with the Rams saw him dominate as a run blocker and still perform well as a pass protector, and he now hits free agency coming off a career year.

87. DT Kobie Turner

Turner didn’t win Defensive Rookie of the Year, though he should have after leading all rookies with nine sacks. Will Anderson Jr., who did win the award, wasn’t even ranked on PFF’s list.

The rookie defensive tackle had a slow enough start to his NFL career, but by the halfway point he was cooking with gas, notching 50 total pressures over the season, including nine sacks in his last eight games.

74. RB Kyren Williams

Derrick Henry (54), Raheem Mostert (45) and Christian McCaffrey (5) were the only running backs ranked higher than Williams, who led the NFL in rushing yards per game (95.3) and scored 15 touchdowns in only 12 games.

This year answered conclusively whether Kyren Williams was for real or just somebody who flashed in 2022. He racked up more than 1,200 yards for the team, averaging 5.0 yards per clip, with 3.3 of that coming after contact.

58. QB Matthew Stafford

Stafford was the seventh-ranked quarterback on PFF’s list, with Patrick Mahomes unsurprisingly being the highest-ranked quarterback at No. 4 overall. Stafford dealt with injuries and a small regression in 2022 but he bounced back in a big way last season.

While Stafford enjoyed one of his finest seasons in the NFL, he wasn’t being rewarded for that level of play statistically over the first half of the year. He had just 10 touchdown passes in the first 11 weeks of the season before notching multiple scores in six of his final seven games.

24. DT Aaron Donald

Donald was still excellent in 2023, he just didn’t have the other-worldly season that we’ve become used to seeing from him. He still had 87 pressures to rank second among all interior defenders, behind only Chris Jones.

Perhaps the first signs that Donald is declining have been spotted, and yet he still posted a 90.8 PFF grade, notched 87 quarterback pressures and was one of the NFL’s most dominant interior pass rushers despite facing a constant stream of double teams. Donald will go down as one of the best to ever play the game, and he still has plenty of juice this late into his career.

21. WR Puka Nacua

Nacua was not only the highest-ranked Rams player, but he nearly cracked the top 20 and was the top-ranked rookie by a mile. The next-closest rookie on PFF’s list was Devon Witherspoon at No. 75, and the Offensive Rookie of the Year, C.J. Stroud, was No. 100. So who do you think should’ve won the award?

One of the best stories of the season, rookie fifth-round draft pick Puka Nacua hit the ground running in the NFL and was one of the game’s most productive receivers from day one. He ended up with 163 targets, more than 1,600 yards and a 90.2 PFF overall grade.