Offensive tackles don’t get the national recognition and praise that skill players do, but it’s an incredibly important position – one that can often determine how far a team goes in a given year. The Los Angeles Rams are facing the real possibility of missing their starting left tackle while Alaric Jackson deals with blood clots, and he’s not a player they can really afford to lose.

Jackson just signed a three-year, $57.75 million contract this offseason but is now in danger of missing the start of the season. He remains one of the Rams’ most important players, both because of the position he plays and how well he’s performed in the last two seasons.

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How he got here

Jackson has been a fantastic underdog story in L.A. He started his career as an undrafted free agent in 2021, signing with the Rams after he was shockingly not selected in the draft that year. He played four games as a rookie, eight in Year 2 (6 starts) and became the full-time starter in 2023, maintaining that job for the last two years.

He’s now signed through 2027 after inking an extension this offseason.

2024 stats

14 games (14 starts): 25 pressures allowed, 3 sacks allowed, 79.2 pass-blocking grade, 75.2 run-blocking grade (via PFF)

Projected role

Jackson’s role wouldn’t be difficult to project if not for his health scare. As a result of his blood clots, it’s unclear exactly when Jackson will be able to suit up in 2025. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported initially that the belief is still that Jackson will play at some point this season, no one knows when that will be.

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When healthy, there isn’t any question about his spot on the depth chart: he’s the starting left tackle. But he may begin the year on the PUP list, which would cause him to miss a minimum of four games.

Why he’s important

There’s a reason the Rams gave Jackson $57.75 million this offseason, committing to him at nearly $20 million per year to be their left tackle of the future. He’s one of the best young players at his position and gives the Rams stability at a critical spot on the offensive line.

Without Jackson, the Rams have struggled to find consistency at left tackle, as evidenced by the poor play by Joe Noteboom last season. They have a couple of viable replacements after signing D.J. Humphries and David Quessenberry as free agents but no one else on the team can match the talent and potential of Jackson.

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This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: LA Rams’ most important players for 2025 – No. 4 Alaric Jackson