Los Angeles Rams safety Jordan Fuller is entering his fourth NFL season and fourth as a member of the Rams. He missed nearly the entire 2022 season after suffering a hamstring injury that limited him to three total games. Prior to that, he was a full-time starter in both his rookie 2020 and sophomore 2021 seasons.
With all the change that has happened in the Rams locker room this offseason, Fuller finds himself as not only the longest-tenured Rams player in the secondary but one of the longest-tenured players on the entire Rams defense. Only Aaron Donald has played more seasons in a Rams uniform.
But this type of role is not phasing the four-year veteran, as he has felt ready for this leap for his entire career, according to Stu Jackson of theRams.com:
“In terms of preparation, I feel like I’ve been prepared, just these last few years in the league,” Fuller said. “Been through a bunch of ups, been through some downs, seen a bunch of things. So I feel like I’m just prepared just by being myself, and that’s really just how I’m approaching everything. Wherever I can add value or help somebody, that’s what I want to do. It’s not really a change of a mindset or anything, it’s just being you.”
Fuller believes that he has the capability to make players around him better. And he, in turn, hopes that will lead to some improvement for him as well.
“Just seeing that in myself, I know that that’s possible for so many of the other the guys that I’m around,” Fuller said. “So any role that I can play in that, into just having them have the best year possible, that’s what I want to do. It also gives me more confidence that I can take more steps myself.”
It’s rare that a team asks a player in his fourth season at age 25 to take on a leadership role, but Fuller has proven himself to be a quality NFL safety throughout his first three seasons.
It’s no secret that the Rams are going to look a little different than they have in years past. Their defense may not have the same star power after Donald, but it still has some players that should be taken seriously. Fuller certainly qualifies in that category.
Marquise Copeland discusses being one of few holdovers
Marquise Copeland is one of the few players on the Rams defense from 2022 that will be on the team in 2023, providing some insurance next to Donald on the front line. For Copeland, it’s a bit of a surprise given his background as an undrafted free agent.
He says he was surprised to go from the back of the line to the front in such a short time with the Rams, but is happy to be sticking around the organization.