49ers' big pass catchers will test Rams' new-look secondary right away

When the Los Angeles Rams kick off their season, they will play the San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne, Australia. From their first defensive snap, Rams fans will know whether the team adequately addressed a critical issue in the secondary.

49ers rookie wide receiver De'Zhaun Stribling is poised to be a talent that will test whether the Rams did enough to address those concerns. Recently, 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk spoke about Stribling, and from Juszczyk's words, Stribling will be a problem.

“He’s big," Juszczyk said. "He’s fast. He’s physical. I think in our second OTA, he was asked to cut off the defensive end on the backside of the ball, and he so willingly and impressively did so. He threw his body in there with no hesitation.

"You say, ‘We’re talking about a second-round receiver. Why do we care about him blocking a defensive end? Let’s hope he catches passes.’ I think he’s going to do a lot of that, but I think in order to play in Kyle’s offense, you have to really be willing to do everything. So for him, with no questions, to step in there with no hesitancy, and to stick his face into a defensive lineman, I was really impressed.”

A big issue for the Rams' secondary was their physical stature at outside corner. Despite Emmanuel Forbes Jr. and Cobie Durant's willingness to make a hit, along with Darious Williams and Ahkello Witherspoon in spot appearances, the Rams failed to hold their line against bigger-bodied wide receivers, with teams being able to run outside and make plays on 50-50 balls successfully.

A.J. Brown is the biggest example of a receiver giving the Rams problems on the outside, while the Carolina Panthers are the prime example of how a receiving corps of tall pass catchers is able to effortlessly dominate the Los Angeles' secondary.

Brown had one of his better performances against the Rams, outmuscling whomever they lined up across from him and exposing their secondary to this fatal flaw. The Panthers, with their trio of Tetairoa McMillan, Jalen Coker, and Xavier Legette – who are all 6-foot-3 and taller – smoked the Rams' defense in the regular season and in the playoffs.

The Panthers scored at least 31 points twice last season. Both games were against the Rams. And yet they went 8-9 in the regular season.

The Battle in Australia

While the addition of Jaylen Watson should help against bigger pass catchers, the 49ers have a trio of their own in Mike Evans, George Kittle, and Stribling. On top of that, Stribling's blocking ability makes him a prime candidate to play in the slot.

What the Rams' first game of the season should reveal is whether Trent McDuffie will be able to handle those types of playmakers, and if Los Angeles has a schematic answer to a problem that could become greater in an offense that has troubled the team in the past.

For this game in particular, not only do the Rams have to deal with those issues, but also Christian McCaffrey coming out of the backfield. This contest should be a chess match that sets the tone for the season.

This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: 49ers' big pass catchers will test Rams' new-look secondary right away