The Los Angeles Rams boasted one of the NFL’s best defenses in 2025, but stopping the run cold remained a soft spot. The blockbuster addition of Myles Garrett should go a long way toward fixing it in 2026, tohugh.
The Rams stopped just 15.3% of opponent carries for zero or fewer yards, according to Nutshell Sports. That was the third-worst in the league on 417 attempts, ahead of only the Cincinnati Bengals. It’s a notable soft spot for a defense otherwise near the top of ESPN Analytics’ run stop win rate metric, where L.A. actually ranked No. 1 in the NFL at 34%. The disconnect points to a defense that wins reps up front but still allows too many manageable gains.
Enter Garrett. The Rams acquired the two-time Defensive Player of the Year from the Cleveland Browns in June, sending Jared Verse and three future draft picks the other way in one of the biggest trades in NFL history involving a defensive player. Beyond his pass-rush pedigree, Garrett gives L.A. a considerably more reliable presence against the run than Verse provided.
Per Pro Football Focus, Garrett has posted PFF run-defense grades of 83.7, 78.4 and 82.5 over the past three seasons, a marked turnaround from four straight marks below 71.0 to begin his career. Verse, by contrast, saw his run-defense grade fall from 81.0 as a rookie to 62.0 in Year 2, and he’s missed 21 run tackles in two seasons — more than Garrett has missed in his nine-year career.
This isn’t the first time the Rams have targeted their run defense with an outside addition. The unit was one of the league’s worst in 2024, getting gashed for 130 rushing yards per game — 11th-most in the NFL — before the club signed nose tackle Poona Ford last offseason. Ford responded by posting a 78.7 PFF run-defense grade, fourth-best among all defensive linemen, and helped drop the Rams’ rushing yards allowed by almost 20 yards per game.
The pieces are trending the right way. With Ford anchoring the interior and Garrett now setting the edge, the Rams have the personnel to turn a defense that already wins individual reps into one that consistently slams the door before the running back ever gets started.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Myles Garrett should be able to fix another flaw in the Rams’ defense
Reporting by Oliver G., Rams Wire / Rams Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Oliver G., Rams Wire | USA TODAY Network
