Rams rookie Cobie Durant brimming with confidence to start NFL career

Like everyone else, Cobie thought Kevin Durant’s tweet claiming him as his cousin was pretty neat.

“I was just like, man, that’s crazy. I didn’t know until [safety] Jordan Fuller was like, ‘Yo, Kevin Durant just tweeted at you.’ KD is one of my favorite basketball players,” Durant said.

The Rams’ depth chart at cornerback includes established veterans like three-time All-Pro Jalen Ramsey and eighth-year pro Troy Hill. How much playing time Durant gets in the regular season remains to be seen. In the meantime, he’s focused on honing his craft and taking advantage of all the resources at his disposal, whether he’s in the weight room lifting, breaking down tape with Ramsey or listening to Kupp, who challenges him from a receiver’s standpoint. Durant is soaking it all up.

Durant’s position coach, Jonathan Cooley, said the first-year pro has plenty of upside and is already showcasing it.

“You don’t really have to tell him things twice,” Cooley said. “He’s such a competitor. No moment is really too big for him. He really rose to the top during training camp; he made a lot of plays against guys like Cooper Kupp. He played well in the preseason … He’s very coachable and very smart, we love having him, and he’s got versatility, which is hard to do as a rookie, too.”

While the future looks bright, Durant doesn’t forget where he came from. He continues to practice the very same habits that got him to this point living out his dream, checking off one goal at a time.

“My first goal was to make the 53-man roster, I did that,” Durant said. “Next goal I checked off again was staying healthy through training camp, I checked that off, and now it’s just staying healthy through the season and whenever my name is called, the players that are out there beside me, they can count on me.”