The Rams didn’t get much from their rookie class in 2025, but Josaiah Stewart gave them enough to make the next step feel very real.
Terrance Ferguson settled in late, Konata Mumpfield and Ty Hamilton chipped in, and Stewart stood out as the most steady presence of the group. In a limited sample, he logged 21 pressures on 165 pass-rush snaps, and his win rate was actually better than Jared Verse’s. That kind of production, even in a smaller role, is the sort of thing that gets attention when a player is headed into year two.
ESPN’s Benjamin Solak recently picked one breakout candidate for every team in 2026, and Stewart was his choice for the Rams.
“Stewart is a subpackage player with legitimate drop ability, so Shula likes him on blitzing downs as a Swiss Army knife,” said Solak. “He can bend, pop with power and finish at the quarterback. That opens the door for more wide alignments for Stewart, who can carve out a role as a late-game closer.”
That usage lines up with why the Rams drafted him in the first place. The idea was for Stewart to fill the kind of “joker” role Michael Hoecht handled in the defense - a player who could rush the passer, but also drop into coverage when the scheme called for simulated pressure.
Stewart’s background suggests he can handle more of that responsibility. He’s more athletic than Hoecht and already had experience dropping into coverage at Michigan. That gives defensive coordinator Chris Shula more room to move him around and mix up how he attacks the quarterback, especially on passing downs.
For now, Stewart still looks like a sub-package piece. But that doesn’t mean he’s stuck there. He’s in a strong spot behind Myles Garrett and Byron Young, and if his role grows, it could help keep both edge rushers fresher late in games.
There’s also a bigger picture here. Young is entering the final year of his rookie contract, and after the trade for Garrett and the contract that came with him, the Rams are unlikely to be able to pay Young. If Stewart keeps trending up, he could become the player the Rams trust going into 2027 if Young isn’t back.
If not, the Rams may have to look elsewhere next offseason, either by drafting another edge rusher to push Stewart or by bringing in a cheaper veteran.
Either way, Stewart is in position to matter. A second-year jump would do more than just boost his role in 2026 - it could lock him into the Rams’ plans well beyond this season.
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The problem is that both players are carrying the kind of age and durability concerns that contenders usually try to avoid, and the margin behind them is thin. Los Angeles does not have much receiver depth behind Adams and Puka Nacua, so if either veteran misses time, the Rams would be asking a lot of the rest of the roster to keep a Super Bowl-caliber offense on track. [Read more 🡒]