Lamarcus Joyner came into the NFL three years ago as a tweener. Teams weren’t sure whether he had the size to play safety, which is primarily why he slid to the second round in 2014.

When the Rams drafted him, they decided to play him at cornerback rather than the position he was most comfortable at in college. Jeff Fisher’s staff didn’t see him as a safety, which is why they stuck him inside as a nickel corner.

That’s all well and good but it only allowed Joyner to be on the field in a limited role, playing snaps solely in sub-packages. He remained there for three years, but last season, he made his displeasure known on Hard Knocks when he decided not to show up for practice one day.

“To me, it was like having a million-dollar check you can’t cash because the bank just don’t want to accept it,” Joyner said, via Alden Gonzalez of ESPN. “It’s not that it’s not legitimate; they just don’t want to accept the check.”

When Sean McVay was hired and a new staff was put in place, they made it a priority to get Joyner on the field more by letting T.J. McDonald walk in free agency. Wade Phillips called Joyner “one of our best players and he only played half the time,” which made him wonder how they can get him more involved.

“We said, ‘Well, let’s play him all the time then.’ It sounds simple, but he’s too good a player not to be on the field, in my opinion,” Phillips said. “And he thought the same way. I saw ‘Hard Knocks.’ I think he felt the same way.”

In his first season as a full-time safety, Joyner has shined. He’s Pro Football Focus’ fourth-ranked safety with an overall grade of 89.6. He still plays in the slot some, but his best position is as a rangy safety over the top.

Joyner admits he was frustrated with the way he was utilized in Fisher’s defense, saying no one gave him the benefit of the doubt that he could succeed at safety. Three years later, he’s earned the trust of McVay and Phillips, and it’s paid off for all parties.

“I just felt like I had a talent that I wasn’t given an opportunity to present in this league,” Joyner said. “And it was very frustrating. One year is enough, but three years? I just put my faith in the lord, knowing that someday it would come and I was going to get an opportunity.”

Joyner and Johnson have combined to give the Rams a dynamic safety duo that could be together for a long, long time. Both players are under 28 years old and have the position flexibility to play both safety spots.