No team in the NFL has used 11 personnel more than the Los Angeles Rams since Sean McVay arrived in 2017. It’s a staple of McVay’s scheme, getting one running back, one tight end and three receivers on the field together. In 2022 and 2023, the Rams used 11 personnel 90-92% of the time, leading the NFL each year. Last season, they deployed that grouping “only” 81.3% of the time, which was still second in the league.
A shift could be coming in 2025, however.
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After selecting tight end Terrance Ferguson in the second round of the draft, the Rams may be looking toward using more 12 personnel packages. That grouping features one running back, two tight ends and two receivers.
The Rams ran 12 personnel just 13.9% of the time last season, 28th in the NFL, after ranking last in 12 personnel usage in 2023. Look for that number to go up next season if Les Snead’s comments are any indication of the Rams’ plans.
He said on the “Pat McAfee Show” this week that Los Angeles could use 12 personnel more in 2025.
“We have a really good tight end room,” Snead said. “We have a lot of veterans. Everyone in our room has played football. Tyler Higbee has been with us since Sean’s been here. But I know there’s an element of Tyler being at the end of his career. Who’s going to replace him? And then just adding another tight end to the field. I think when Sean McVay came to us from Washington, they did a lot of 12 personnel, so maybe we’ll add a little bit of that to our repertoire. At the end of the day, good position and we like the player, as well.”
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Getting two tight ends on the field together could help spark the run game. Tight ends are typically better blockers than receivers, and when the Rams’ ground game has struggled in the past, a shift toward more 12 personnel has helped.
In order for the Rams to remain multi-dimensional, though, their tight ends need to be capable receivers – which Higbee and Ferguson are. Colby Parkinson became more of a blocker toward the end of last season, so he could mix in on run downs.
The Rams have the depth to utilize more two-tight end packages and expand the offense beyond their traditional 11 personnel looks. If they do shift more toward 12 personnel, it could impact the playing time of Tutu Atwell and other receivers.
We’ll see if this actually comes to fruition but the Rams’ tight end room is as good as it’s been since Higbee and Gerald Everett were atop the depth chart.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: 2025 NFL Draft: Rams could use more 12 personnel after taking Ferguson