IRVINE, Calif. -- The Los Angeles Rams' three primary pass-catching tight ends have combined for 11 receptions in their NFL careers. Four tight ends -- Zach Ertz, Dennis Pitta, Kyle Rudolph and Travis Kelce -- had at least that many catches in one game last season. Tyler Higbee, Gerald Everett and Temarrick Hemingway make up the most inexperienced tight-end trio in the league. But the expectations are high, because of their athletic skills and because of their coach's track record.

The youngest member, Everett, set the bar the day he arrived for training camp at UC Irvine, saying he and Higbee "could be better" than Jordan Reed and Vernon Davis, the Washington Redskins duo that is arguably the NFL's most accomplished.

Rams coach Sean McVay, the offensive coordinator when Reed and Davis helped Washington lead the NFL in tight end yards last season, appreciated Everett's confidence but playfully shook his head when asked about his tight end's prediction at the start of camp.

Tyler Higbee has all 11 career catches among the group expected to be the Rams' top three tight ends. Cory Harkey has 27 catches in four seasons but will also be used as a fullback. EPA/MIKE NELSON

"Those guys [Reed and Davis] are the standard for the position," McVay said. "We haven't even played a preseason snap yet."

As the days passed, McVay continually made his point. When Everett made a mistake, McVay asked him, "Would Jordan Reed or Vernon Davis have done that?" He wanted him to realize just how high that bar sits.

Everett, now three weeks into training camp, learned something about choosing his words that day. But he stands by his initial statement.

"I definitely do, seven days out of the week," Everett said. "I don't have any regret. Jordan and Vernon are great tight ends, both Pro Bowlers, but I feel like our group is just as good. If not, we can be better."

First they need to wise up. Based on each team's top three tight ends listed by Roster Resource, the Rams have the second-most-inexperienced group with regard to career receptions, trailing only the Cleveland Browns' trio of David Njoku, Seth DeValve and Randall Telfer, which has combined for 12 catches. But the Rams' No. 3 tight end on Roster Resource is Cory Harkey, who has made 27 catches in four seasons and will also be used as a fullback. Hemingway, a sixth-round pick in 2016 who was not targeted as a rookie, is expected to have a bigger role in the passing game. Higbee, a fourth-round pick in the same draft, had 29 targets and caught 11 passes in 2016. Everett, this year's 44th overall pick, is still learning the NFL.

Everett admits he is "nowhere near where I want to be as a finished product" and that his comfort level in this offense "isn't really where I want it to be."

Career Receptions, Each Team's Top 3 TEs The Rams' tight end group per Roster Resource is Tyler Higbee (11 career catches), Gerald Everett (0) and Cory Harkey (27), but Temarrick Hemingway (0) could emerge as the No. 3 over Harkey. Team No. Team No. Team No. Team NO. DAL 1,096 JAC 516 BUF 280 IND 115 LAC 1,019 MIA 498 MIN 266 NYG 106 WAS 808 BAL 490 CHI 200 PIT 89 CAR 771 TEN 446 HOU 185 ATL 84 GB 715 OAK 402 DET 175 DEN 82 PHI 672 ARI 337 CIN 170 NYJ 55 SEA 576 NO 335 TB 130 LAR 38 NE 533 KC 281 SF 120 CLE 12 Source: RosterResource.com

The transition from college to the pros is about as difficult for tight ends as it is for any position outside of quarterback. Guys such as Higbee and Everett have to get used to playing in line or out of the backfield as opposed to always being detached as a receiver, an adjustment McVay compared to a spread quarterback suddenly having to take snaps from under center. Tight ends also have to know almost the entire offensive playbook.

"At this level, it's so much more mental than it is in college," Higbee, the starter, said. "Just having more time with an offense, getting that stuff down, because you have to know almost as much as the quarterback. You have to know everything in terms of the run game, and then you get exotic fronts at this level, and coverages that you're trying to read in the passing game. It helps having some experience."

Higbee was targeted only seven times in the first seven games last season and never really factored into the offense, giving way to the more experienced Lance Kendricks. But Kendricks is with the Green Bay Packers now. And Jeff Fisher has been replaced by McVay, who came up as a tight ends coach and got the most out of that position in Washington.

On a team with DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon, McVay got a combined 110 catches for 1,269 yards and eight touchdowns from Reed and Davis. McVay moved Reed all over the field, and he was targeted 88 times, 10th most among NFL tight ends. Davis, more of a vertical threat, averaged 9.13 air yards per target, sixth highest at his position.

Higbee, 6 feet 6 and 257 pounds, is closer in size to Davis but less athletic, like Reed. Everett, 6 feet 3 and 245 pounds, projects to be nearly as athletic as Davis was coming out of college but is closer in size to Reed. The Rams have been running a lot of "12" personnel -- one running back, two wide receivers, two tight ends -- and have used Higbee and Everett all over the field to see where they fit best.

"They've shown a great knowledge and understanding of our offensive system early on, where we can do what we want with them," said Rams tight ends coach Shane Waldron, the Redskins' offensive quality-control coach last year. "Then it'll just be a matter of if they can progress from that into game speed like those guys in Washington can."

Higbee has built chemistry with quarterback Jared Goff, his training-camp roommate these past two years. And Everett has seemingly improved with each day. In Saturday's preseason opener, he made some nice moves in space while catching a couple of passes. On Tuesday in practice, he out-jumped a cornerback to haul in a touchdown pass. His expectations are still high.

"It's almost like a two-headed monster," Everett said, just as Higbee walked by with a playful nudge. "Me and Tyler, we want to be that two-headed monster. Or even add Temarrick in there and be that three-headed monster. Just be a pick-your-poison type of deal and be an every-down tight end. Whoever gets plugged in, we know they're going to make plays."