Los Angeles Rams officially sign Georgia draft pick Derion Kendrick
On Monday, former Georgia cornerback Derion Kendrick officially inked his rookie contract with the Los Angeles Rams. He signed the four-year deal for $3.792 million with a signing bonus of $132,012.
The Los Angeles Rams are banking on Kendrick to come in and bolster their secondary. After playing a pivotal role throughout his time in Athens — and with the Clemson Tigers prior to that — the former Bulldogs cornerback will be expected to do the same in his NFL career. That’s why the Rams took him off the board in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft at No. 212 overall.
Derion Kendrick taken in sixth round by Rams
Kendrick‘s college career was unique, beginning at Clemson in 2018, where he played for three seasons before joining the Bulldogs. In his single season in Athens, he played a pivotal role for the defense.
Last season, the corner won his second national championship, helping to end a drought that spanned over 40 years as the Bulldogs defeated Alabama in the 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship Game. Additionally, Kendrick helped Georgia keep star quarterback Bryce Young at bay, holding Alabama to just 18 points in the showdown.
Most importantly to the Rams, Kendrick showed the ability to adapt quickly at Georgia. In 15 games, he totaled 41 tackles, two tackles for loss, four interceptions, and three passes defended. Two of his interceptions this season came in Georgia’s CFP semifinal victory over Michigan. Per PFF, he didn’t allow a single touchdown in 2021.
While character concerns plagued Kendrick in the past, the enticing defensive back prospect wanted NFL teams to know it was all behind him at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine.
“Just to show them, you know, all that stuff is behind me,” Kendrick said. “I made some bad decisions. Stuff like that. But just growing up as a person. Maturity wise. You know, communicating with my coaches over time. That’s some things I had to work on.”
A former five-star recruit in the class of 2018, Kendrick was the No. 3 cornerback in the nation per the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average. The former Georgia star played his high school football at South Pointe in Rock Hill, South Carolina. He played wide receiver in high school and recorded 15 receptions for Clemson as a freshman wideout.
On3’s Stephen Samra contributed to this report.