JM #2

Jaylen McCollough

Safety · Tennessee

An undrafted Tennessee safety who turned heads as a rookie with four interceptions, including a pick-six, in his first eight NFL games.

Jaylen McCollough went undrafted out of Tennessee in 2024 but made the Rams' roster out of training camp and never looked back. The ball-hawking safety became the first undrafted player since 1981 to log four interceptions in his opening eight career games, and he remains a fixture in Los Angeles' secondary.

★ First Rams rookie with 4+ interceptions in a season since 2012

★ First undrafted player since 1981 with 4 interceptions in his first eight career games

★ Started a Tennessee program-record 51 games

Path to the league

McCollough started a program-record 51 games across five seasons at Tennessee, finishing his college career with 241 total tackles, six interceptions and 22 pass deflections. As a fifth-year senior in 2023 he started all 13 games and posted the best defensive PFF grade among SEC safeties, but he still went unselected in the 2024 NFL Draft before signing with the Rams as an undrafted free agent.

Career highlights

McCollough's rookie season was the headline moment of his career so far. He played all 17 games for Los Angeles in 2024, racking up 43 tackles and four interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown, becoming the first Rams rookie with at least four picks since 2012.

2025 season recap

McCollough's takeaway numbers came back to earth in 2025, when he finished the season without an interception, though he still broke up three passes in coverage and posted a respectable coverage grade that ranked among the better regulars at the position. He remained a full-time starter in the Rams' secondary throughout the year.