Rams training camp preview: Is linebacker LA's weakest position?

After giving up too many yards and points last season, the Los Angeles Rams made a strong effort to improve on defense this offseason. They added Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson and Myles Garrett, but one position still looks relatively weak on paper: inside linebacker.

Nate Landman is back for his second season with the team, while Omar Speights and Shaun Dolac are also returning. The only notable addition made at this spot was Grant Stuard, who's primarily a special teams contributor. If there's one position group to worry about, it's this one.

Entering training camp, the LB2 spot is up for grabs next to Landman, but the candidates for that job aren't exactly confidence-inspiring. Let's take a look at the linebacker unit heading into camp.

Roster locks

• Nate Landman
• Grant Stuard

Landman will be the Rams' top linebacker once again this season after enjoying a breakout year in 2025 as a team captain. Stuard is a newcomer, and while he's a lock to make the team, that doesn't automatically make him the No. 2 linebacker next to Landman. He's a valuable special teams contributor who was just signed as a free agent this offseason, so there's no chance the Rams are going to cut him.

Interestingly, Sean McVay said Stuard will "find a way to probably be able to contribute defensively, too," so it sounds like he expects the special teams ace to compete at linebacker, as well.

Likely to make it

• Omar Speights
• Shaun Dolac

Can we say with 99.9% certainty that Speights will make the team? No, which is why he's in the "likely to make it" category. His odds of making the 53-man roster are probably close to 90%, but in the off chance that he gets beat out for the LB2 spot, he could potentially be cut for someone like Dolac.

Speaking of Dolac, he was a valuable special teams player as an undrafted rookie in 2025 and though that doesn't guarantee him a spot on the roster again, the Rams like his potential after putting up outstanding numbers at Buffalo in college.

On the bubble

• Elias Neal
• Nikhai Hill-Green

Neal has spent the last two years on the Rams' practice squad, occasionally getting called up on game day to contribute on special teams. He's once again a long shot to make the team but at a position that's relatively open after Landman, he could sneak onto the 53-man roster with a strong camp and preseason.

Hill-Green had quite the winding path to the NFL, playing at Alabama, Charlotte, Colorado and finally Alabama. He was signed as an undrafted free agent this year and will compete for a roster spot, bringing his experience from the Crimson Tide to the Rams.

Position battle to watch

• Omar Speights vs. Shaun Dolac vs. Grant Stuard

The No. 2 linebacker spot should be Speights' to lose, but he's not certain to win that job once again this year. Dolac now has a full year of NFL experience under his belt after making the 53-man roster last season, and Stuard is a smart veteran who McVay already thinks highly of.

Speights needs to get better in order to keep his job this season because he struggled in space last year, despite having some encouraging performances, like the one against Chicago in the playoffs. It's not a position that will require a player to be on the field for every snap, but it's still a key role in base sets on early downs.

Potential sleeper

• Shaun Dolac

Dolac is a player to watch this summer. He won over fans last year with his play in preseason action, performing so well in the first two games that he sat out the finale because he had already locked up a roster spot. He's a great tackler and defends the run well, but there's room for improvement in coverage.

If he can stand out in camp again and push Speights for a starting spot, it'll be a positive development for the Rams defense.

This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Rams training camp preview: Is linebacker LA's weakest position?