Josaiah Stewart rapidly studied the task, centered intensely, and went to work.
The Rams linebacker delicately gripped a paintbrush, dipped it right into a cup of inexperienced paint, and commenced filling the define of a fowl traced onto a wall of an Altadena college rebounding from the Eaton fireplace.
A number of toes away, Rams tight finish Terrance Ferguson and defensive lineman Ty Hamilton maneuvered their enormous frames so as to add their very own inventive touches to the hallway mural.
It was the most recent rookie bonding expertise for the 2025 draft class, a six-player group that features a number of anticipated to play outstanding roles for a group considered a Tremendous Bowl contender.
“We’ve got a great group,” stated Ferguson, a second-round decide. “All the guys have bought into a lot of rookie bonding stuff by the team.
“It’s cool that they really lean into building that relationship. … We’re all going through this for the first time, transitioning to the NFL, so it’s been a lot of fun.”
Rams rookie tight finish Terrance Ferguson prepares to contribute to paintings at Odyssey Constitution Faculty in Altadena.
(Gary Klein / Los Angeles Occasions)
Ferguson is considered the inheritor obvious to veteran Tyler Higbee, who’s within the closing yr of his contract. But the dynamic Ferguson, a former Oregon star, gained’t have to attend till 2026: He seems on monitor to have a big function in coach Sean McVay’s offense.
Stewart, a third-round decide from Michigan, provides one other dimension to an edge-rushing group that options NFL defensive rookie of the yr Jared Verse and Byron Younger.
Working again Jarquez Hunter, a fourth-round decide from Auburn, is competing to again up Kyren Williams, who’s within the closing yr of his rookie contract.
Hamilton, from Ohio State, provides depth to a defensive position led by Kobie Turner and Braden Fiske, whereas fellow fifth-round decide Pooh Paul from Mississippi does the identical for an inside linebacker corps that options Omar Speights and Nathan Landman.
Receiver Konata Mumpfield, a seventh-round decide from Pittsburgh, is studying from Davante Adams, Puka Nacua, Tutu Atwell and Jordan Whittington.
A number of rookies stated veteran gamers have welcomed and embraced them, serving to them take in the playbook and all that’s anticipated of them on the sphere.
Assistant head coach Aubrey Nice has helped oversee the rookies’ collective transition to changing into professionals, McVay stated.
Rams rookie defensive lineman Ty Hamilton goes to floor so as to add his contact to hallway mural at Odyssey Constitution Faculty in Altadena.
(Gary Klein / Los Angeles Occasions)
“We’ve really tried to lean into the types of people where there’s different personalities, but there’s still our core values or experiences that these guys have gone through that have tested their mental fortitude, their resilience,” McVay stated, including, “The most important thing is as a team, how do we come together? How do we really lean on one another? But when you are going through a similar experience, it’s been fun to be able to watch those guys mature and be able to grow together.”
The rookies have bonded on the sphere throughout organized group actions, and off the sphere on excursions for meals, films and locations comparable to an escape room. The group occasions play a big function, Paul stated.
“This is something I personally enjoy doing with the rookies simply because it really just shows, like, what we stand for outside the shoulder pads,” Paul stated throughout a break from portray in Altadena. “We’ve been doing a great job with that, bonding with each other, getting to know each other’s backgrounds, where we come from, our collegiate careers and what helped us get to where we are today.”
Organized group actions conclude this week, however the rookies can be collectively once more subsequent week when the Rams journey to Maui for a minicamp.
On Tuesday, the six draft picks and different first-year gamers that signed as undrafted free brokers will be part of Habitat for Humanity to rebuild houses in Lahaina that had been broken in 2023 wildfires.
Will probably be one other alternative to work side-by-side, as they did in Altadena.
“It’s a tight group,” Stewart stated after ending his portray in Altadena. “We all bond, and events like these really bring us together.”
