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“Blessed:” The simple, succinct but suitable word that Bryce Perkins used to tweet out after 1 p.m. PT on Tuesday, August 31.
Why? After hearing and seeing the rumblings of the Los Angeles Rams keeping only two quarterbacks instead of him, the undrafted quarterback from the 2020 class expressed pure euphoria through using that one word to verbally illustrate this moment: He made the final cut.
The Rams fulfilled the NFL rule of completing their 53-man roster by the mandatory deadline on Tuesday afternoon. Perkins was among the players who faced his own odds to earn a spot on the final depth chart going from undrafted, to underdog all the way to L.A. Ram.
Perkins had the following road with going undrafted in tow: No preseason games last year, overcoming his neck injury from 2016, going the junior college route, to facing the possibility of getting waived even after a strong 2021 preseason campaign.
But now, the training camp and August grind culminates in Perkins landing on the 2021 roster. And one of his backers? The Rams’ starting quarterback Matthew Stafford who told the L.A. media “The strides that he’s made, I’m just really proud of him and it’s a testament to him.”
Perkins certainly isn’t the only underdog and undrafted story who made it on the Rams. Here are others to note:
Lone Member of 2021 UDFA Rams Class Makes Roster
There were 11 undrafted rookie players invited to the Rams’ training camp.
Only one survived the cut. And he’s in the offensive trenches.
Alaric “A.J.” Jackson becomes the 2021 undrafted rookie representative who made the final roster. The 6-foot-7, 285-pound offensive tackle is one of 10 offensive linemen on the 2021 depth chart. Head coach Sean McVay credited offensive line coach Kevin Carberry and the scouting department for helping assist in the finding/development of the ex-Hawkeye and using him to add needed depth in the trenches.
“Kevin Carberry did a great job along with the scouts of identifying A.J. Jackson, McVay told the L.A. media, which can be heard near the 5:45 mark of the post practice presser video. “But I think the depth that you have when you can go two deep up front is something that is really important.”
Jackson also does this for the Rams: Fulfills the league’s International Pathway Player representation as a Canadian born player.
Jackson was the highest graded blocker from the Saturday, August 28, Denver Broncos game per Pro Football Focus. Jackson delivered a stellar preseason: Allowing five QB pressures but zero sacks through 205 total snaps. He was also penalized just once.
UDFA Defender Went From Released, to Practice Squad to the Final 53
J.R. Reed began his career with the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted 2020 rookie safety from Georgia.
After being waived by the Jaguars and starting out as a practice squad member of the Rams, he now got his first taste of landing on the final depth chart in August.
The 6-foot-1, 194-pound second-year pro was rewarded a spot in the secondary following a strong preseason that saw him snatch 12 tackles, one interception and surrender three catches for 12 yards on 63 total coverage plays per PFF.
Reaction plays like this run Reed blows up against the Chargers clearly helped convince the Rams to keep him.
But he also caught DeSean Jackson’s attention with this against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Reed, however, wasn’t the only undrafted member of the 2020 class kept in the “Rams House.”
Fellow UDFA Safety Known for Toothpicks Makes Cut
JuJu Hughes is known for going through toothpicks during Rams practices.
However, he gave the Rams another reason to pick six safeties to complete the 10 defensive back lineup. And he’s the other ex-2020 UDFA and practice squad member to witness his roster elevation.
The former Fresno State Bulldog became a downhill hitter and excelled in coverage in three starts in August. The 5-foot-11, 182-pounder posted nine tackles, six assisted and allowed just three catches for 33 yards on 69 coverage plays for the Rams. McVay spoke on how both Reed and Hughes got the Ram coaching staff to rethink their initial plans for the safeties.
“A couple of these guys change the trajectory of what you have kind of just laid out. I think you look at some of those guys at the safety position with J.R. Reed and actually, because of some of the nuances and different moving parts, JuJu Hughes will also be one of those guys that is on that initial list that you guys really see,” McVay said.
On Wednesday, August 25, Hughes spoke to his hometown newspaper in Hanford, California The Sentinel about how he’s approached this season.
“I learned how to be a pro and how to be a vet,” Hughes told freelancer Chris Aguirre. “Last year, I sat back and learned how to study and how to take care of myself and my body. That is a big part coming into this year. I feel very comfortable, and I think it kind of shows in how I have been playing. Last year, I was kind of scared to mess up more but when you get comfortable you can settle down and make plays.”
Hughes ended August with a PFF grade of 85.2, plus was the highest rated secondary member from the Broncos game.
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