The Los Angeles Rams have several questions at this juncture of the season, but one of their more underrated strengths lies in the secondary. The Rams boast a strong safety corps, headlined by team captain Quentin Lake, who could reap the benefits of his play.
Lake was a sixth-round pick, selected with the 211th overall pick of the 2022 draft.
Now in his second full season as a starter, Lake has become an impact player, starting 21 of the Rams’ last 22 regular-season contests.
Rams Eyeing Contract Extension for Quentin Lake
GettyQuentin Lake #37 of the Los Angeles Rams tips a pass from Mac Jones #10 of the San Francisco 49ers..
Lake was voted in as a team captain for the second straight season by his Rams teammates, underscoring his significance to the defense and team as a whole.
The Rams could look to lock him up long-term.
“Quentin Lake is a do-it-all chess piece for Sean McVay’s defense,” ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler wrote on October 8 in a Week 6 intel dump. “The Rams are interested in retaining him if a deal makes sense.”
Lake has recorded 144 total tackles, 11 pass deflections, and 2.0 sacks in 2024 and 2025. His total stops rank sixth in the NFL since the start of the 2024 season, per Stathead.
He is in the final year of a four-year, $3.8 million rookie-scale contract.
He has been a relative bargain for the Rams, but that could change with his payday. The top-six safeties in the NFL signed deals averaging more than $75 million in total value. Per Over The Cap, the Rams are tracking towards having $90-plus million in cap space in 2026.
If there is a knock on Lake, it is that he has 0 career interceptions or fumble recoveries and has not recorded a takeaway since the 2023 season, when he forced a fumble.
Quentin Lake Roasted After 49ers Game
GettyQuentin Lake #37 of the Los Angeles Rams tackles Kendrick Bourne #84 of the San Francisco 49ers.
Lake received plaudits for his coverage ability earlier in the season, and he received encouraging grades from Pro Football Focus, which are highly subjective. However, he has seen his performance dip in that regard.
LA needs “Thursday Night Football” against the San Francisco 49ers to be Lake’s nadir.
PFF credited Lake with allowing 49ers wide receiver Kendrick Bourne to catch all four of the targets thrown in their direction during their matchups, and he was roasted for it afterward.
The Rams also have questions at cornerback, particularly following the injury that landed starter Ahkello Witherspoon on IR. That has led the Rams to lean heavily on three-safety looks on defense this season.
Rams Boast Talented Safety Room
GettyKamren Kinchens #26 and Quentin Lake #37 of the Los Angeles Rams take the field before a game against the Houston Texans.
In addition to Lake, who leads the team, Rams safeties Kam Curl and Kamren Kinchens are second and fifth on the team in defensive snaps through five weeks of the 2025 season, per Pro Football Reference.
Curl has 42 total stops, 3 PDs, and 2 INTs this season. Kinchens has 26 combined tackles and also 3 pass breakups.
The Rams are fortunate to have players with the kind of versatility their safeties boast.
At the same time, they entered the season with questions about the secondary, particularly at corner, and they rank 18th against the pass entering Week 6. As talented as their Curl, Kinchens, and Lake are, the Rams still have work to do on the back end of their defense.
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