Feb. 1, 2026, 4:31 a.m. PT

The Los Angeles Rams had their best season since winning the Super Bowl in 2021, winning 12 games and making it all the way to the NFC championship. They led the NFL in points and yards, while also finishing 10th in scoring defense.

Several players stood out in a big way throughout the year, earning the title of being “studs” for Los Angeles. Others struggled to have a major impact, ending the season as “duds.”

Here’s our complete list of the best and worst performers from this past year.

Stud: Matthew Stafford

Duh. He might’ve been the biggest stud in the NFL as he aims to win his first MVP award following a stellar season with the Rams. It was one of the best seasons in franchise history, further establishing Stafford as a potential Hall of Famer five years after he decides to retire – whenever that may be.

Expert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.Stud: Puka Nacua

You could argue that Nacua was the best receiver in football this season. He and Jaxon Smith-Njigba were neck and neck for that title, both putting together outstanding campaigns. Nacua led the league with 129 catches and 107.2 yards per game, going over the 2,000-yard mark when including the playoffs. He’s only the second player to reach that plateau, joining Cooper Kupp from 2021.

Stud: Davante Adams

Adams missed the end of the season with a hamstring injury but before going down, he was practically a cheat code in the red zone. He scored 14 touchdowns, most within 5 yards of the goal line, plus another in the playoff loss to the Seahawks. Adams did drop a few too many passes – a team-high nine, to be exact – but his impact as a true X-receiver on the outside was unmistakable.

Stud: Kyren Williams

Another year, another rock-solid showing from Williams. He didn’t blow anyone away, but he had an efficient season with 4.8 yards per carry and 10 rushing touchdowns. Even with Blake Corum eating into his carries, Williams still stood out as one of the better running backs in the NFL. And he even improved his explosiveness with more big plays than usual.

Stud: Kevin Dotson

The offensive line as a whole deserves praise and credit for allowing a league-low 23 sacks this year, but Dotson might’ve been the best of the bunch. He was a road-grader in the run game and a stout pass protector, too, dominating just about every week he was healthy. He may not have gotten Pro Bowl recognition but he was every bit deserving of making it.

Studs: Byron Young and Jared Verse

Young and Verse were both standout defenders for the Rams. Verse led with 100 total pressures, while Young finished second with 74. Young had a team-high 12 sacks and also led the Rams in tackles for a loss (12) and quarterback hits (29), breaking out in his third NFL season.

Once again, Verse left some plays on the field with too many missed tackles, which cost him sacks and plays behind the line of scrimmage, but he was still a force off the edge when it came to generating pressure on the quarterback.

Stud: Kobie Turner

For the third year in a row, Turner finished with at least seven sacks. He also finished third on the team with 69 pressures and made countless big plays for the defense when getting into the backfield. He continues to be an underrated player for the Rams on a team that features a pair of great edge rushers in Young and Verse.

Stud: Kamren Curl

Curl picked a good time to have a career year. In a contract year, Curl finished second on the team with 122 tackles, added two sacks and picked off two passes, his first interceptions since his rookie year in 2020. He delivered one of the clutch plays of the season with an overtime interception against the Bears, saving the Rams from another gut-wrenching loss.

Dud: Joshua Karty

He didn’t finish the season on the team but Karty was still a massive dud for the Rams. He missed the most kicks in the NFL (8) at the time of his release and never attempted another field goal or PAT after being benched. He was great on kickoffs to start the season but those low, knuckling kicks also might’ve thrown off his actual kicking technique.

Dud: Tutu Atwell

Sean McVay promised to get Atwell more involved after the Rams paid him $10 million guaranteed, but he didn’t come close to delivering on that statement. Atwell caught six passes for 192 yards and a touchdown, ending the year as a healthy scratch in the final two playoff games. The contract looked bad at first and is even worse in hindsight.

Dud: Ty Hamilton

The Rams traded up for Hamilton and sacrificed a fourth-rounder in 2026 to get the deal done, but he didn’t meet expectations. He was by far the Rams’ lowest-graded player, according to PFF, earning a defensive grade of 32.7. He finished with just 11 tackles, missed two tackles and had seven pressures, landing just one hit on the quarterback. Hamilton isn’t written off yet, but he needs to play better in 2026.

Dud: Rob Havenstein

Havenstein missed a good portion of the season with an injury and was never activated off injured reserve, but that could be due to the emergence of Warren McClendon Jr. Havenstein struggled before getting hurt, allowing almost as many pressures (22) as McClendon (23) in less than half the pass-blocking snaps (255 vs. 542). He was a valuable presence as a leader in the locker room but on the field, he’s had better years.

Dud: Ethan Evans

Evans had some brilliant moments, like his punt against the Seahawks in Week 11, but the lowlights far outweighed the highlights. He was near the bottom of the NFL in net yards per punt (38) and ranked near the middle of all punters in touchbacks and punts inside the 20.

Dud: Darious Williams

Williams was in and out of the lineup, being a healthy scratch late in the year after getting demoted. He seemingly lost a step in terms of his speed on the outside, and his lack of size hurt the Rams when facing bigger receivers. He allowed a 97.0 passer rating in coverage, intercepting just one pass and allowing three touchdowns.

Dud: Jordan Whittington

Whittington looked like he might be poised for a big year after beating out Atwell as the No. 3 receiver but like his competition at wideout, he also struggled to do much. He only had 171 yards and 18 catches all year despite playing more snaps and starting more games than he did in 2024 when he had better production. He’s a valuable blocker but as a receiver, he didn’t develop as anticipated.