The Los Angeles Rams have a lot of young talent, but that group is quickly getting older as they continue to grow together. The Rams also have a lot of important aging players, like Matthew Stafford and Rob Havenstein, who will eventually need to be replaced.

Despite this, the Rams ranked 18th on ESPN’s Aaron Schatz list of NFL team talent under the age of 25. The methodology evaluates under-25 NFL talent by combining playing time (starts and snaps), quality of play (age-adjusted for developmental upside), contract value and length, positional importance, recent draft additions, projected 2025 roles and any injuries or suspensions impacting availability.

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The reason for the Rams’ rank was simple: The Rams are young, but they’re not that young.

Part of that is because general manager Les Snead drafts older players rather than younger, rawer players. Take Puka Nacua and Jared Verse for example. The team’s top two blue-chip players are both already 24, and Verse will be 25 by the end of the 2025 season. Kyren Williams will be 25 before the season begins and Braden Fiske is 25 despite entering his second season. Others like Steve Avila, Kobie Turner and Byron Young are 25, 26 and 27, respectively.

Schatz did point out that the Rams have some potential young stars in the making under this age threshold:

There is some more young talent here, too. Center Beaux Limmer is 24 years old, as is linebacker Omar Speights, who started 10 games as an undrafted free agent rookie in 2024. Safety Kamren Kinchens turns 23 near the end of September.

The Rams did not have a first-round pick in the 2025 draft, but second-round tight end Terrance Ferguson will likely be a starter at age 22 and third-round edge Josaiah Stewart is also 22.

Not being super young isn’t a bad thing, either. Teams need a good mix of experience and youth to keep up with the rest of the league, and the Rams have a great combination heading into the 2025 season. The next problem that will pop up, though, is eventual contract extensions for some of these top young players. They’re already experiencing that with Williams, and contracts for Nacua, Turner and Young are in the future, too.

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This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: See where Rams’ ‘under-25 talent’ ranking lands in 2025