Kamren Kinchens could challenge to start with Rams after being drafted in third round
Miami safety Kamren Kinchens should be able to compete to be a starter after the Los Angeles Rams selected him 99th overall in the third round on Friday night. The Rams signed former Washington Commanders safety Kameron Curl as a free agent in the offseason. Curl is the projected starting strong safety for L.A. in 2024.
Free safety which is Kinchens natural position seems to be wide open with the Rams. Who the Rams projected starting free safety is depends on the website. Russ Yeast was the starting free safety for the Rams in their final 2023 regular season game and during training camp. Yeast was a Rams 2022 seventh-round pick.
CBS Sports lists Quentin Lake, the Rams' sixth-round pick in 2022 as the starting free safety. Tanner Ingle who was an undrafted free agent and 5'9 and 179 pounds is listed by CBS Sports as the Rams' second-team free safety. With young free safeties on the roster and Kinchens a higher draftee, he has an excellent opportunity to start in 2024.
Jordan Fuller who was the second leading tackler for the Rams last season with 94 tackles at safety and was the co-leader with three interceptions in 2023, signed with the Carolina Panthers during the off-season. Yeast was seventh on the Rams with 61 tackles during the 2023 season.
L.A. Rams Select S Kamren Kinchens 99th Overall
— PFF College (@PFF_College) April 27, 2024
🔵 11 INTs Since 2022 (1st Among Safeties) pic.twitter.com/XlQjE1zfBb
Kinchens has been one of the best safeties nationally over the last two seasons. Kinchens earned first-team All-ACC in 2022 and 2023 and was a consensus All-American in 2022. At the end of his Miami career, Kinchens 11 interceptions tied for eighth in Miami history.
Los Angeles was 20th in passing yards allowed, 22nd in passing touchdowns allowed and 23rd in defensive interceptions. The Rams finished 20th in total defense and 29th in percentage of defensive drives that ended in a turnover. Kinchens should help the Rams force turnovers.
Next. Where Kam Kinchens was projected in 2023 NFL Draft. Where Kam Kinchens was projected in 2023 NFL Draft. dark
Kinchens projects to be in an excellent situation for him being the penultimate pick in the third round of the NFL Draft. Kinchens' numbers at the combine probably dropped him in the NFL Draft, but he was selected in the range where consensus mock drafts projected him to be selected.