Rating the St. Louis Rams’ 2014 Draft Picks at Midseason
Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
Joyner has been alright as a rookie, seeing action as the nickelback in seven of the Rams’ first eight games and taking advantage of his versatility to fill the void at free safety in the Rams’ loss to the Chiefs. With that said, he hasn’t really done anything to live up to his value as a second-round pick, and if the Rams had all their corners available, Joyner probably wouldn’t be in the lineup, as Janoris Jenkins would likely be the nickelback with E.J. Gaines and Trumaine Johnson on the outside.
According to Pro Football Focus, Joyner has allowed 72.4 percent of the passes thrown his way to be completed, the primary factor in their evaluation of him as the 81st-ranked corner in the NFL. With Gaines’ emergence as a legitimate contributor on defense, it should be interesting to see what Joyner’s role is going forward with Jenkins and Johnson also in the fold.