Rams tweets etc. … 5/19 – 5/21

from Ranking the top 25 players under 25 entering the 2025 NFL season: https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-ranking-top-25-players-under-25-2025-nfl-season

2. WR Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams
Three-year grade: 92.5
Snaps played since 2022: 1,642
Average WAR since 2022: 0.51

Nacua burst onto the scene in 2023 as a fifth-round rookie, making an immediate impact as a high-end target earner and elite receiving weapon for the Rams. He has yet to look back.

Through two seasons, Nacua has delivered a 92.4 PFF receiving grade and 2.92 yards per route run — both of which lead all qualifying players for this list and rank second among all players overall during that span. Even though he missed time with injuries in 2024, Nacua made the most of his opportunities, leading the position in PFF receiving grade (92.6) and yards per route run (3.23) as 2024’s most efficient receiver.

6. EDGE Jared Verse, Los Angeles Rams
Three-year grade: 89.3
Snaps played since 2022: 933
Average WAR since 2022: 0.42

The reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year finished the 2024 season with 89 quarterback pressures — the most in the league — and managed a top-10 PFF grade in all three major defensive categories for the position (overall, run defense and pass rush).

Verse also generated the fifth-most PFF WAR (0.42) for his position, putting him in elite company alongside Myles Garrett and T.J. Watt. He didn’t finish as a league leader in the sack column, but that shouldn’t discount just how dominant he was on a play-to-play basis, evidenced by his top-10 PFF pass-rush grade and sixth-best win rate (19.7%) among defensive linemen.

from Picking the NFL’s All-Underrated Team for 2025: https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25197686-dont-sleep-these-players-picking-nfls-all-underrated-team-2025

Byron Young, Los Angeles Rams

Young hasn’t received the accolades of batterymate and 2024 Defensive Rookie of the Year Jared Verse, but the third-year pro has been consistently productive, topping 60 total tackles with at least 7.5 sacks in both professional seasons. The 27-year-old took up Pilates in the offseason to help improve his conditioning and technique, and he told the team’s website that he’s already seeing benefits.

“Just growth that has me being the best player I could be,” Young said. “I’m just seeing this part of my life that I definitely needed for years, and I just didn’t notice it. I’m glad I found it. But I’m looking at being a lot stronger, faster, fit, being able to do plays longer, last longer than O-linemen (or) whoever I’m going against. So, I see that kind of improving everything all around. That’s what I’m hoping for.”

Young admittedly benefits from playing for Rams front seven loaded with young talent. But he’s a talented player capable both of setting the edge and getting after the quarterback—as evidenced by his strong tackle numbers and a dozen tackles for loss a year ago.

.@MichaelBrockers believes that the Rams are currently the biggest threat to the Eagles in the NFC 👀 pic.twitter.com/ptGIDHI4mM

— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) May 19, 2025

from https://theramswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/rams/2025/05/21/rams-qb-matthew-stafford-didnt-check-the-ball-down-much-in-2024/83756337007/?taid=682dcb053bc7560001837d9a&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=trueanthem&utm_source=twitter

According to Pro Football Focus’ Lauren Gray, Stafford finished the 2024 season with the fourth-lowest checkdown rate among quarterbacks. Stafford’s 7.7% checkdown rate was only behind Caleb Williams, Brock Purdy and Daniel Jones.

from PFF Wide Receiver Rankings: Top 32 – https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-pff-wide-receiver-rankings-top-32-2025-season

5. PUKA NACUA, LOS ANGELES RAMS
Nacua missed time in 2024 but still finished with the league’s highest receiving grade at 93.0, pushing his two-year total to nearly 3,000 receiving yards. He’s neither the biggest nor the fastest, but few receivers are more difficult to cover.

16. DAVANTE ADAMS, LOS ANGELES RAMS
Adams posted his lowest receiving grade since 2016 with a 76.8 in 2024, a concerning trend as he enters his age-32 season. Still, his elite production over the past five years warrants some benefit of the doubt — especially now that he’ll be working with Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay.

What is the strongest division in the NFL?https://t.co/z8PGrAG8UI

— PFF (@PFF) May 22, 2025

…

[see link above]

1. NFC North
2. AFC West

3. NFC WEST: RAMS, CARDINALS, SEAHAWKS, 49ERS
Cumulative over/under win total: 37

If the Cardinals take the next step — and there’s reason to believe they can — the NFC West could turn into a four-team slugfest. Kyler Murray quietly posted his second-highest big-time throw rate (4.7%) in 2024 while keeping his turnover-worthy play percentage at a career-low 2.4%. With the defensive reinforcements Arizona added this offseason, they’re well-positioned to push for a 10-win campaign.

The Rams remain one of the toughest outs in the league, and if not for the blizzard in their playoff game against the Eagles, they might have been on their way to the NFC Championship Game. Seattle faces more uncertainty, with Sam Darnold stepping in at quarterback and no D.K. Metcalf in the receiving corps. As for the 49ers, health will be the biggest variable, but one key area they addressed was the run defense, which ranked 28th in the NFL last year in terms of run-defense grade. Their draft class should go a long way toward correcting that.

4. AFC North
5. NFC East
6. NFC South
7. AFC East
8. AFC South