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Jaylen Watson has been labeled the "biggest X-factor" on the Los Angeles Rams' roster.
The Los Angeles Rams’ offseason moves continue to draw attention, and there has even been a bit of a shift from the blockbuster trades for Myles Garrett and Trent McDuffie to their signing Jaylen Watson in free agency.
Watson has proven to be a willing participant in the Rams’ recruiting efforts, trying unsuccessfully to lure L’Jarius Sneed to LA and pushing for Aaron Donald to unretire.
However, his true value will be revealed in between the white lines on the football field.
GettyJaylen Watson has been dubbed the Los Angeles Rams’ “biggest X-factor.”
Watson received votes as a potentially more impactful addition than Garrett from a survey of unnamed league personnel by The Athletic. The veteran signed a three-year, $51 million contract with the Rams in free agency.
The sentiments around one of the newest Rams did not stop there.
Fox Sports’ Ben Arthur picked the former Kansas City Chiefs seventh-round pick and two-time Super Bowl champion as the “biggest X-factor” on the Rams’ roster.
“When opposing offenses look to pass against the Rams’ Myles Garrett-led defense, they’ll likely look to throw away from star cornerback Trent McDuffie, twice an All-Pro selection,” Arthur wrote on June 18. “So if Watson can be a big-time playmaker on the opposite side of the field, L.A. could have a truly dominant defense.”
Watson is coming off a down year. He allowed 62.5% completion on 64 targets, which ranked 32nd among players to face at least as many looks, per Stathead. Watson allowed 53.3% completion on 30 targets in an injury shortened 2024 season and 56.3% on 48 targets in 2023.
As a rookie, Watson allowed 64.8% completion with 71 pass attempts in his coverage.
His 60.6% career mark ranks 26th since 2022 among all players with at least 213 pass attempts thrown in their direction.
The Rams need him to hold up opposite McDuffie long enough for Garrett to get home, make the stop on completions, or otherwise disrupt his fair share of plays. Watson has not created many turnovers, with just 4 interceptions to his credit in his career.
However, he is versatile, with 4.0 sacks on his resume, too.
GettyJaylen Watson was brought in to help shore up a weak spot in the Los Angeles Rams’ defense.
The Rams’ special teams woes got plenty of coverage and attention from the organization with a slew of changes. However, but the Rams’ pass defense was also a significant issue, particualry down the stretch, as the Rams’ investment in Watson and McDuffie underscores.
LA ranked 17 overall and 10th in scoring during the 2025 regular season. They were 12th against the run and 19th against the pass.
From Week 1 through 12, the Rams allowed 207.2 passing yards per game.
They allowed 239.4 YPG through the air over the final five weeks of the regular season and 276 YPG during the playoffs. However, the Rams’ approach was two-fold. It should allow the coverage and the pass rush to pick up the slack for one another at different times.
Garrett was a better finisher than the rest of the Rams’ defensive front last season. He will force opposing QBs to pick their poison between him or Watson and the Rams’ secondary quickly.
Josh Buckhalter covers the NBA and NFL for Heavy.com. He has covered both leagues since 2016, including bylines at FanSided, Last Word on Sports and Clocker Sports. He's based in Villa Park, Illinois. Follow Josh on Twitter and Instagram: @JoshGBuck More about Josh Buckhalter
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