What’s Going on with the Rams Tight Ends?
As the Rams enter Week Three, 2-0, a lot of the questions surrounding the team this offseason have been answered with an emphatic ‘yes’. The team in many facets of the game has been humming along. Especially with Matthew Stafford dicing up defenses and a young pass rush group that has been terrorizing offensive lines, most of the questions surrounding the Rams are if they can keep this production going, and are less focused on things we hope to see. On offense, the last real question mark left is on the way they have been using the tight ends thus far this season. The Rams have a deep room, having kept four tight ends this year, and it is yet to be seen how they choose to utilize that depth.
So far, the biggest thing to note is that the Rams have played a lot of 12 personnel relative to what we are used to from a Sean McVay offense. Since McVay came to LA in 2017, the Rams have had some of the highest usage rates of 11 personnel in the league. In 2024, their usage of 11 personnel was 82.40%, second only to the Falcons at 86.19%. In Week One, they were only in 11 personnel for 56.14% of the snaps and used 12 personnel for 42.11%. This allowed tight ends Tyler Higbee, Colby Parkinson, and Davis Allen to play a decent amount of snaps, with 58%, 48% and 47% respectively, in Week One. In Week Two, Parkinson was injured, and so the Rams switched back to more 11 personnel, bringing the percentage of 12 personnel packages down to 32.76% across both weeks combined. Even this lower amount in Week Two is more than what we are used to from Sean McVay, and it shows that he has a desire this year to get the tight ends more involved in the offense.
Interestingly, the Rams’ second-round pick, Terrance Ferguson, played zero snaps in Week One. For fans who were excited about his potential, this was disappointing to see, especially after Parkinson had a disappointing day from a pass-catching perspective, having two catches for negative six yards, and giving up a fumble that nearly cost the Rams the game. Parkinson’s run blocking sets still proved his effectiveness in the game, and yet many Rams fans were hoping that Ferguson could have the kind of explosive pass-catching ability that would force his way onto the field. Regardless, when Parkinson was ruled out for Week Two, Ferguson only played four offensive snaps and recorded zero targets, with Higbee being the main recipient of playing time in Parkinson’s absence. The Rams reportedly were willing to draft Ferguson in the first round before they traded back with the Falcons, and through two games, we have yet to see the reason why. Ferguson’s one highlight has been his contribution on special teams, with a chasedown tackle that saved the Rams’ blocked extra point from being returned for two points. It is worth remembering the groin injury that Ferguson was dealing with in August, and it is possible the Rams are being careful with their young draft choice and easing him into the offense.
Despite the depth of this tight end room, none of the Rams’ tight ends have been able to get much involved in the air. Tyler Higbee leads the pack with 37 yards on four receptions. Davis Allen also leads not only the Rams’ tight ends, but also all Rams skill players in total touchdowns, with one catch for a touchdown in both games. If the Rams keep using two tight end sets at the rate they used in Week One with Parkinson healthy, this production in the air for the tight ends is sure to increase. This is especially true when or if Ferguson begins to get more implemented into the offense. Allen and Ferguson are better pass catchers than Parkinson, and it will be interesting to see if this allows them to get more playtime over him when Parkinson returns. Until then, expect Higbee to get more involved in pass catching with Parkinson to be the main number two in 12 personnel.
