The Los Angeles Rams may have been defeated by the Oakland Raiders, 14-3, in their preseason opener on Saturday night, but head coach Sean McVay was still able to take plenty of positives away from the night.
One player who impressed McVay was backup quarterback Blake Bortles, and it appears another one was rookie safety Taylor Rapp.
Rapp was the Rams’ top draft pick in 2019, being selected 61st overall in the second round out of Washington. In his NFL preseason debut, Rapp had two tackles and a pass breakup in limited action against Oakland.
It is easy to see that Rapp has good instincts on the field, and McVay liked what he saw from the rookie, via Cameron DaSilva of Rams Wire:
“I felt Taylor Rapp early on. I thought he did a really good job,” McVay said.
Moreso than in the game, McVay has been impressed with how quickly Rapp has been able to adapt to the NFL game due to those previously mention instincts that the Rams liked so much when he was coming out of Washington:
“His last week has been outstanding. I think he’s really getting the confidence where he knows exactly what’s going on,” McVay said. “He’s able to make these seamless adjustments within the framework of whatever defensive call that we’ve activated and it’s been really – we’re starting to see the guy we loved so much on tape at Washington and I think he’s really starting to play where he’s not thinking, he’s just reacting. And that’s what makes him a special player.”
Getting to learn from Pro Bowl-caliber players at his same position every day in Eric Weddle and John Johnson III has to be beneficial for Rapp. Weddle was seen on the sidelines giving him and other players advice throughout the game on Saturday night.
If Rapp continues to show improvements and an ability to grasp Wade Phillips’ defense, then he could potentially see a solid amount of playing time right away. He and former college teammate Greg Gaines are both expected to make heavy contributions for the Rams defense during their rookie seasons.
