off-season notes: the secondary

This piece talks about a McVay interview on Sirius and then focuses on what he says about the defensive back 4

from: https://ramblinfan.com/posts/sounds-like-sean-mcvay-named-his-4th-secondary-starter-on-sirius-01ht3stam1tw

Where it gets very interesting is when Coach McVay starts to elaborate on the makeup of the post-Aaron Donald defense in 2024, and how the team will need to rethink how to make the defense effective this season. He rattles off the names of guys in the front seven who will be counted on this year: NT Kobie Turner, OLB Byron Young, and ILB Ernest Jones. And then Coach McVay strays to the secondary and he names someone who you may not have expected.

DB Quinton Lake was named as a rising star on the team’s roster, and someone who Coach McVay and the entire Rams’ defense is counting on. Lake stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 201 pounds. At that size, he is ideally suited as an NFL safety. But he is so versatile that he has filled in at several positions in the team’s secondary.

It’s that ability to cover receiver like a cornerback that allowed the team to shop for and add hard hitting defensive back Kamren Curl. Next to Curl, Lake can do what he does best, and that is defend passes. Despite being selected with the 212th pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, Lake has proven to be a solid defensive back for the team.

In 453 defensive snaps in 2023, he made 53 tackles, broke up six passes, and even had one fumble recovery. Pro Football Focus awarded him an impressive grade of 71.2 for the year, which was far better than expected. With Lake as the fourth defensive back, the Rams will likely slide DB Cobie Durant to the slot. And if the team opts to add any defensive backs in the 2024 NFL Draft, the secondary will have ample depth for the upcoming year.

Quentin Lake is proving to be one more of the late selections who is finding NFL success despite not hearing his name until late on Day 3 of the NFL Draft. Now, whether by a slip of the tongue or deliberate endorsement, we know that Quentin Lake will likely be one of the team’s two starting safeties for 2024.