Rams See Former Clemson DL as a Starter

After being taken by the Los Angeles Rams in the sixth round of last year’s NFL Draft, former Clemson defensive lineman Tyler Davis gained the trust of his coaching staff during his rookie season.

And his coaches, including defensive coordinator Chris Shula, remain confident in Davis heading into his second NFL campaign this year.

Davis drew praise from his teammates and coaches throughout training camp, and Shula was the latest to speak highly of Davis on Wednesday, saying the Rams see him as one of their starters along the defensive line.  

Watching Davis on the field and looking over film from last season, Shula has taken notice of the things Davis did well as a rookie, like defending the run and knowing how to battle combination blocks.

“We really liked him and trusted him last year. … I just think of him like a starter,” Shula said. “If I see him out there, I never even think twice about it, and I felt that way last year. I think it was more of the level of play and how he did it and how he played the run and how he was able to hit blocks and play combination blocks and understand the nuances.”

Shula also noted that Davis has taken a leadership role on the defensive front, helping his fellow linemen get in the right spots pre-snap whenever Rams captain Kobie Turner isn’t in the game.

“I think this year what he’s done is he’s kind of upped his level of communication,” Shula said of Davis. “Kobie Turner is obviously the leader, the guy communicating up front. We put a lot on those guys, with the front adjustments. We don’t have our linebackers trying to line those guys. Those guys kind of align themselves, and [Davis has] kind of taken a step in that direction, where if he’s in, and Kobie’s not in, he’s the guy that they’re all looking to, to communicate.”

Davis appeared in 16 regular season games for the Rams as a rookie, recording 29 total tackles, two tackles for a loss, one quarterback hit and a half-sack. He also played in each of the Rams’ two playoff games and made one start in the postseason, totaling seven tackles between those two contests.

Before entering the NFL, Davis was a second-team All-American in 2022 who became Clemson’s first defensive player to be a four-time All-ACC selection, including three consecutive first-team honors from 2021-23. Davis passed Christian Wilkins, Dexter Lawrence and William Perry (three each) for the most career All-ACC selections by a defensive tackle in Clemson history, company befitting a player nicknamed “Baby Dex” by Dabo Swinney and “Mini Fridge” by former teammate K.J. Henry.

In 2023, Davis broke Christian Wilkins’ school record for starts by a defensive tackle and went on to set the Clemson record for career starts by any defensive player (52).

Davis made an immediate impact at Clemson, earning the starting role in his first career game as a true freshman in 2019 and becoming a key interior piece for Clemson’s defense thereafter. In all, he was credited with 167 career tackles (29.5 for loss), 16.0 sacks, four pass breakups and three fumble recoveries over 56 games (52 starts) from 2019-23.

–Photo courtesy of Kirby Lee-Imagn Images