The Los Angeles Rams’ pass rush is obviously centered around Myles Garrett and Byron Young on the edge, but they’re not the only players who will be hunting quarterbacks. When one of them comes off the field, Josaiah Stewart will have his number called.
The second-year outside linebacker from Michigan was an underrated contributor last season, recording 27 pressures on 199 pass-rush snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. He’s now a year more experienced and he could be in for an even bigger role this season.
Defensive coordinator Chris Shula was asked about Stewart on Wednesday and he said that once the pads came on, Stewart really started to shine.
“He’s been showing up. I said to him that ever since we’ve got the pads on, he decided to make a bunch of plays,” Shula said. “He’s physical on the edge. I think he’s an every-down player where he can go into the run game and play on a tight end, gap-and-a-half to the ball. Also he’s obviously a great pass rusher, a guy that can drop in coverage. He’s a guy that really can do it all and do it all at a high level. He’s just one of those guys that’s a great football player. He has a great feel for angles, for space, and he’s physical. I think it’s been about three or four days in a row where he’s shown up a lot, so he’s had a great camp.”
Stewart was the first guy off the bench at edge rusher last season, helping give Jared Verse and Young a breather when needed. He’s in line for the same role behind Garrett and Young this year, especially with a skill set that allows him to play all three downs.
He can rush the passer, doing so 199 times last season, as well as stop the run and drop into coverage. He had 98 snaps in coverage last year, which was 80 more than Verse and only 50 fewer than Young.
What makes Stewart special is the power and aggression he plays with. He’s similar to Young in that regard, always playing full speed and never taking a play off. With Young’s long-term future up in the air due to his expiring contract, Stewart could be someone who steps into a starting role in 2027.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Rams 2nd-year edge rusher has ‘shown up a lot’ in camp
Reporting by Cameron DaSilva, Rams Wire / Rams Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Cameron DaSilva, Rams Wire | USA TODAY Network
