Despite a loss in their very first preseason game, the Los Angeles Rams have a lot to look forward to. With rookies and veteran players fighting to earn a spot on the roster, the team’s loss to the Oakland Raiders had lots more to offer than what was just in the box score.
One player that made an imprint on Saturday’s game was rookie safety Taylor Rapp. The Rams selected Rapp out of Washington in the second round in the 2019 NFL Draft.
For Rapp, the preseason game was his first look at real NFL action and he enjoyed it, via Stu Jackson of TheRams.com:
“It felt great,” Rapp said after Saturday’s 14-3 loss at Oakland. “It felt great to get out there and get my feet wet.”
Rapp did not play the entire game but did make a great effort on defense. He finished the game with two solo tackles and one pass defensed.
Although he most likely will not be starting when the regular season begins, Rapp may be able to crack the starting lineup eventually. For now, Eric Weddle and John Johnson III are slated to start at both safety spots for Los Angeles.
Rapp totaled 168 total tackles and seven interceptions in 39 games across three seasons at Washington. This was his first game since the end of last year, and he did admit to having some nerves:
“I haven’t tackled someone since last December, so I was a little nervous about the first tackle, going out there,” Rapp said. “It was fun to get out there and go full go, all the way to the ground.”
Rapp’s high energy was also of note during Saturday’s game. During his only pass interruption on defense, he was the first to let everyone know that the play was no good.
Getting to learn from Pro Bowl-caliber players like Johnson and Weddle on a daily basis should only continue to help Rapp improve moving forward as he begins his rookie season.
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