Brennan Presley had one of the most productive games of any player in the Los Angeles Rams’ 20-12 preseason win over the Kansas City Chiefs Saturday.
In what will be an uphill climb to make the roster, it was a strong first step for the former Oklahoma State Cowboy.
As a speedy but especially small wide receiver (standing just 5-foot-8, 174 pounds), Presley is going to get pigeonholed as a straight-line, gadget player, whether that’s fair or unfair. If he’s going to climb the depth chart and sneak onto the 53-man roster, he’ll need to both show a multidimensional skill set on offense and make a positive impact on special teams.
Presley did a great job showing off both of those things against the Chiefs.
First, the offensive production. Stats aren’t especially useful during preseason action, as the great Daniel Jeremiah explained this weekend. Still, when you see a player like Presley post a game-high four receptions for 58 yards, it’s at least worth taking note of. That’s especially true in his case because he showed he can win in multiple ways.
First, a gimme in space allowing him to use that plus speed.
While the Rams have a multitude of things they need to see out of both Stetson Bennett and Ty Simpson this preseason, getting both of them easy completions and explosives is important too. This was a great call from offensive coordinator Nathan Scheelhaase, who took over play-calling responsibilities for this game. The run action took the defense to the right while Presley, aligned wing right, scraped across to the left.
This would have been a chunk gain regardless, but Presley’s speed allowed him to fly past defensive back Chris Rowland-Wallace and inside the red zone. This is the kind of play Presley should dominate with, given his athletic profile.
That, in turn, is why the following play is so vital.
Matthew Stafford is not afraid to throw over the middle. He will push the ball with deep in-breakers all day. The Rams, generally speaking, want to push the ball. The fact that Presley is able to get open on a deep in and make an athletic play to snatch the ball and regain his footing is encouraging.
We don’t have the benefit of all-22 view as of press time, but the end result for Presley is a positive. He was a practice squad piece last season and only made an appearance in one actual game, but this is one of college football’s all-time leading receivers. He’s capable of producing, but after playing exactly zero offensive snaps in 2025 and averaging under 10 yards per reception during his last two seasons in Stillwater, he needs to keep proving he’s a real receiver and not just a gadget player.
As mentioned above, special teams will also be crucial for Presley if he wants to make this team out of camp. Anyone who can do anything positive on special teams is a boon for the Rams, and he had a couple nice kick returns of Saturday.
L.A.’s beleaguered special teams finished 28th in the NFL in total EPA last season. The only teams who finished worse were the Falcons, Raiders, Cardinals and Saints. None of those teams were close to good last season, and the Rams have to be better in the third phase this year. A low-cost return man who shows here that he can both make tacklers miss and get to the edge thanks to his speed is an intriguing option at the absolute bare minimum.
This isn’t intended to make Presley out to be a roster lock. There are a limited number of spots for receivers on this roster, and there’s an abundance of competition for the final spot in that room. Still, if we’re going to treat the preseason as a chance for fringe players to make their case for a full-time roster spot, this was as good of a first impression as he could have made this summer.