With the anticipated release of the 2024 NFL schedule today, it's a good time to look ahead at teams the Los Angeles Rams will square off against. The Rams will play plenty of talented players who are all bidding to keep the Rams from hoisting another Lombardi Trophy.
I've already broken down the best quarterbacks the Rams will play, but what about the rest? Who are the best non-quarterbacks on the Rams' schedule for the 2024 season?
10.) Jaylon Johnson, CB, Chicago Bears
Fresh off of a new contract, Jaylon Johnson will look to corral Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp this season. The last time the Rams played "da Bears", LA mopped them up to the tune of a 34-14 win, with Kupp catching 7 passes for 108 yards and a touchdown.
Johnson did drop an interception in that game and only allowed a single catch. He broke out last season as one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL and will continue that in 2024.
9.) Maxx Crosby, DE, Las Vegas Raiders
One of the most relentless players in the NFL, nobody describes motor better than Maxx Crosby. Boasting a wide range of pass rush moves and the athleticism to back it up, Crosby is among the best pass rushers in the NFL.
The last time the Rams faced Crosby, he posted two sacks in the Rams' 17-16 win in 2022. He'll be a tough out for the Rams' offensive tackles.
8.) Nick Bosa, DE, San Francisco 49ers
What more needs to be said about Nick Bosa? The 2022 Defensive Player of the Year has terrorized the Rams since being drafted in 2019. He has posted 43 pressures and 8 sacks against the Rams and has wrecked several plays from the get-go.
Bosa is an elite pass rusher who has the ability to take over games by himself. The Rams will have to be careful against him.
7.) Quinnen Williams, DT, New York Jets
The best defensive lineman the Rams will play all year, Quinnen Williams is a force for the Jets' defense. Their entire unit revolves around him creating room for other players, something Rams fans are familiar with Aaron Donald.
This will be the first time the Rams have played the Jets since their infamous 2020 loss to a zero-win Jets team that helped contribute to them pushing Jared Goff out the door. Williams recorded a sack in their first meeting and has only gotten better since then.
6.) Penei Sewell, RT, Detroit Lions
Their earliest test of the season for Jared Verse, Penei Sewell has quickly become an elite offensive lineman and weapon. The Lions' offense is built upon what he can do as a player with his incredible athleticism.
Sewell has only played the Rams twice in his career, allowing four pressures in those two games.
5.) Lane Johnson, RT, Philadelphia Eagles
The best right tackle in the league for what feels like a decade, Johnson is the most important player on the Eagles' offense, especially with Jason Kelce retiring. An elite athlete and pass protector, Johnson has stymied the best pass rushers in the league for years.
Johnson shut down the Rams' pass rush in their Week 5 matchup last season. He'll be a tough task for the Rams' defense once more.
4.) Sauce Gardner, CB, New York Jets
Arguably the best cornerback in the NFL over the last two seasons, Sauce Gardner is a premier defender on the perimeter. This will be the Rams' first match against Gardner, who has shut down wide receivers time and time again throughout his career.
Gardner has allowed just two touchdowns in two years and will be a key player in stopping the Rams' 1-2 punch of Nacua and Kupp.
3.) Tyreek Hill, WR, Miami Dolphins
2024 will be the first time the Rams have faced Tyreek Hill since the famous 2018 Monday Night Football game. Hill, one of the elite wide receivers in the NFL, used his game-breaking speed to decimate the Rams' defense, catching 10 passes for 215 yards and two touchdowns.
His speed ruins gameplans, and there's not a defender who can keep up with him. Despite the Rams' investment in two talented veteran corners in Tre'Davious White and Darious Williams, Hill will cause many a sleepless night for new Rams DC Chris Shula.
2.) Trent Williams, LT, San Francisco 49ers
The best offensive lineman in the NFL, the Rams are used to Trent Williams being a complete bulldozer on the field. Williams has decimated the Rams throughout his career, allowing eight pressures since 2020, with five coming in the 2021 conference championship game. Since joining the 49ers, Williams has four games against the Rams where he did not allow a single pressure.
Getting past Williams will be the key to winning the division for the Rams this season.
1.) Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings
This shouldn't surprise anyone. There's an argument to be made for Jefferson being the best player in the league, and he's a difficult task for any secondary.
Jefferson has only played the Rams once. In 2021, Jefferson caught eight passes for 116 yards, doing most of his damage against Darious Williams. There are question marks about Minnesota's quarterback situation, but Jefferson will be a massive headache who could win that game single-handedly if the Rams aren't careful.
