The Rams Have Upgraded Their Cornerback Room for 2026 Super Bowl Push
Heading into the 2026 offseason, the main priority for the Los Angeles Rams was to upgrade the cornerback room. While the offense came up short on the final drive in the NFC Championship Game, the defense and cornerback play remained major issues.
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold threw for over 250 yards four times after Week 9. Three of those times came against the Rams. In the NFC Championship Game, Darnold threw for 346 yards and three touchdowns against the Rams secondary.
The Rams wasted an MVP season from Matthew Stafford in part because they ignored the cornerback position for so long. For much of the season, the Rams defense overperformed expectations. At some point, the lack of talent simply became too much to overcome. Let's compare last year's group to this year.
2025 Darious Williams vs. 2026 Trent McDuffie
Darious Williams was a known commodity for the Rams in 2024 and 2025, returning after a two-year stint with the Jacksonville Jaguars. While he was a veteran presence, his 15 passes defended over the past two seasons combined were fewer than both seasons with the Jaguars.
In McDuffie, the Rams acquired a top-level cornerback with inside-out versatility who is tough to separate against. He ranked fifth among cornerbacks in time spent with less than one yard of separation. McDuffie is a two-time All-Pro and at 25, he gives the Rams a future at the position. He may not be a lockdown cornerback, but he is a bona fide CB1 that the defense needed.
| Stat Category | Trent McDuffie | Darious Williams |
|---|---|---|
| PFF Coverage Grade | 74.7 | 67.3 |
| Yards Per Coverage Snap | 0.85 yards | 0.84 yards |
| Snaps Per Target | 6.9 snaps | 7.3 snaps |
| Snaps Per Reception | 8.1 snaps | 12.5 snaps |
| Completion Percentage | 67.3% | 57.9% |
| Forced Incompletion Rate | 9% | 13% |
2025 Ahkello Witherspoon vs. 2026 Jaylen Watson
For much of the last three years, the Rams have relied on Ahkello Witherspoon as their top cornerback. Witherspoon's reputation benefited from being the best player in a bad cornerback room. He consistently got beat playing from the trail and he lost some of the speed to recover. While Witherspoon wasn't bad, the Rams needed an upgrade. There's a reason why the Rams waited so long to bring him back last year and why he wasn't retained this offseason.
Watson gives the Rams the size and length that Witherspoon had and brings familiarity with McDuffie. He's 6'2 and has allowed only one touchdown over the last two years. Watson will provide a reliable option on the outside in coverage and is much more willing in run support. His 69.0 passer rating allowed ranked 10th last season among cornerbacks. Going from Witherspoon to Watson is arguably where the Rams upgraded the most.
| Stat Category | Jaylen Watson | Ahkello Witherspoon |
|---|---|---|
| PFF Coverage Grade | 68.4 | 52.3 |
| Yards Per Coverage Snap | 0.87 | 1.77 |
| Snaps Per Target | 8.2 snaps | 6.4 snaps |
| Snaps Per Reception | 13.7 snaps | 9.3 snaps |
| Completion Percentage | 59.3% | 68.8% |
| Forced Incompletion Rate | 7% | 0% |
2025 Emmanuel Forbes vs. 2026 Emmanuel Forbes
For much of his career, Emmanuel Forbes has been inconsistent and that's likely how he'll continue. There are times when he looks like a former first-round pick and others when he looks like a draft bust. It's why the Rams didn't pick up Forbes' fifth-year option. This is a case where less is more might be a good thing. Forbes should have a rotational role, but can't be relied on as a full-time player. f the Rams can keep him between 15 and 25 snaps in favorable matchups, that would be a good thing. He also provides experienced depth.
2025 Depth vs. 2026 Depth
Direct comparisons are difficult as the Rams rotated the cornerbacks so much last season. Williams didn't start his first game until Week 5 and only made three starts all year. Cobie Durant got a lot of playing time on the outside before he was moved in the slot. With Quentin Lake, the Rams don't have a traditional nickel.
The Rams lack some depth behind Durant and Roger McCreary, but they will look to develop Cam Lampkin and other undrafted free agents. If the Rams do have an injury at cornerback, it's certainly a spot where they could look to make a trade closer to the deadline.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/rams/onsi as The Rams Have Upgraded Their Cornerback Room for 2026 Super Bowl Push.
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This story was originally published May 6, 2026 at 2:30 PM.