round 3, pick 90, Rams take Josaiah Stewart, edge

Jourdan Rodrigue@JourdanRodrigue
I could be wrong but Stewart may be projected as the the Hoecht/Cheetah package/five man rush player. Has a legit motor and personality (as described by our Dane Brugler) fits really well with this young group.

I’m obviously not comparing him TO Hoecht, just saying they needed a juice player in that role

Josiah Stewart showing off the burst, speed-to-power, bull rush on this rep that will complement the Rams’ current pass rush committee nicely. pic.twitter.com/pJ5jiO2YSK

— Rams Bros. (@RamsBrothers) April 26, 2025

"Some who is just tenacious, plays urgent, and is going to give more effort than the next guy."

🎙️ Les Snead on our third round pick Josaiah Stewart pic.twitter.com/5bsfwLyfRS

— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) April 26, 2025

EDGE16 Josaiah Stewart Michigan, 4SR

BACKGROUND: Josaiah (jo-SY-uh) Stewart, who has 18 siblings in a blended family, was born and raised in the Bronx, N.Y., with his mother (Carmen Diaz) and father (Andre Stewart). He grew up playing basketball and tag outside, running around the neighborhood, but never signed up for an organized sport. Basketball was his go-to sport throughout childhood, and he “never really picked up a football” until he got to high school. At age 10, Stewart relocated to the Boston area. Stewart enrolled at Everett High (north of Boston) and joined a program that had three other future NFL players on its roster: safety Lewis Cine, tight end Isaiah Likely and cornerback Mike Sainristil. As a freshman, he decided to join the football team, despite having no prior experience in the sport (Stewart: “All my friends were playing, and I just wanted to hop in and play with my guys.”). He started out as a part-time contributor on the freshman team in 2017, but he physically matured, learned the fundamentals and became the program’s hardest worker, according to the coaches. Stewart started on varsity as a junior and played both ways as a defensive end and tight end. He helped Everett to a 9-3 record and the 2019 league title, finishing with 30 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, seven sacks and two blocks (one punt, one extra point attempt). Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Stewart’s senior season was pushed from fall of 2020 to an abbreviated schedule in spring of 2021. Stewart posted 13 tackles, seven tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks in just three games. A three-star recruit, Stewart was the 43rd-ranked edge defender in the 2021 recruiting class and the No. 5 recruit in Massachusetts. After his sophomore season, he received his first Division I offer from FCS Howard (Dec. 2018). The following spring, Stewart received his first major offers from Boston College and Syracuse. He committed to Steve Addazio and Boston College during his junior season, but Addazio and his staff were fired a few weeks later. After Jeff Hafley was hired, both parties agreed to part ways — Boston College pulled its offer and Stewart reopened his recruitment. Several of Stewart’s more notable suitors had moved on by then and recruiting was in a strange spot because of the pandemic, which limited his options. Coastal Carolina (where Likely was playing) entered the mix during the summer of 2020, and Stewart committed in August. He was the top-ranked recruit in former head coach Jamey Chadwell’s 2021 class. After two highly productive seasons with the Chanticleers, Stewart entered the transfer portal in December 2022, a few days after Chadwell left for the Liberty job. He received offers from several notable programs and narrowed his final choice to LSU, Michigan and USC. Stewart, who was recruited hard by Sainristil, committed to the Wolverines and joined the team in January 2023. He accepted his invitation to the Senior Bowl.

YEAR (GP/GS) TKLS TFL SACK FF PD INT NOTES
2021: (13/6) 43 15.5 12.5 3 0 0 Coastal Carolina; Freshman All-American; First Team All-SBC; led SBC in sacks; enrolled June 2021
2022: (12/11) 36 10.0 3.5 1 1 0 Coastal Carolina; Second Team All-SBC; missed bowl game (transfer)
2023: (15/0) 38 8.5 5.5 0 2 0 Michigan; Honorable Mention All-Big Ten; enrolled January 2023
2024: (11/11) 33 13.0 8.5 2 0 0 Michigan; Second Team All-Big Ten; led team in FFs, sacks and TFL; missed two games (injury); team
captain
Total: (51/28) 150 47.0 30.0 6 3 0

HT WT HAND ARM WING 40-YD 20-YD 10-YD VJ BJ SS 3C BP NOTES

STRENGTHS:
● Explosive out of the blocks and attacks with natural leverage
● Lethal speed-to-power move, creating incredible force with the acceleration from his first two steps
● Purposeful hands as a pass rusher, mixing in different varieties of slap-rip, club-rip and flash-chop
● Uses body dip to angle and run the hoop to capture the corner
● Able to spin off contact when blocked high-side
● Better play strength in run game than expected from a player his size
● Physical at the point of attack to battle for positioning and remain a factor on edge runs
● Relentless chase speed from the backside, with closing burst to finish
● Stewart “only knows one speed” and “plays with a chip,” according to Michigan defensive line coach Lou Esposito
● Upgraded to team captain midway through the 2024 season because of the way he sparked the defense (Stewart: “I came out of my shell and became more of a vocal leader.”)
● Highly productive — only FBS prospect in this draft class with 30 career sacks on his resume

WEAKNESSES:
● Light frame with below-average height and limited room to get bigger
● Strong initial strike, but he can be slowed once powerful blockers get their hands on him
● Hyper-charged in his rush — that momentum will take him past the pocket at times
● Smart contain player, but NFL size will have better luck covering him up in the run game
● High-speed pursuit will leave him out of control as a secure tackler (had a career low in tackles and a career high in missed tackles in 2024)
● Occasionally peeled off or dropped into the flat, but he’s not an experienced coverage player

SUMMARY: A one-year starter at Michigan, Stewart lined up as a wide edge rusher (two- and three-point stance) in defensive coordinator Wink Martindale’s four-man front. Despite being late to the game (didn’t play varsity football until his junior year), he was an immediate difference-maker manning the “Bandit” position at Coastal Carolina and led the Sun Belt in sacks as a freshman. He transferred to Ann Arbor for his final two seasons and led the team in sacks, tackles for loss and forced fumbles as a senior. An explosive pass rusher, Stewart has the arc acceleration and flexibility to win high-side, although his speed-to-power and bull rushes are uniquely effective when he is given a little runway. He plays bigger than he looks in the run game, although he will struggle to disengage when blockers are able to latch on to him. Overall, Stewart’s size won’t be for everyone, but he is an energetic athlete whose combination of twitchy get-off, crafty hands and relentless finish can make him a pass-rush factor from day one. His talent suggests he can be more than a pass-rush specialist in the NFL.

GRADE: 3rd round (No. 80 overall)

Jared Verse@JaredVerse1
This defense just got a little scarier…. Let’s work, Josiah! Welcome to LA

Josiah Stewart. Good take off, but watch pauses. He gets his inside hand under LT's arm and inside to the soulder. Then rolls hips and extends and bends tackle back, — drives to QB. This is nice power. Maybe not Verse's type but very good … pic.twitter.com/6fRJpP9WGl

— Jim Youngblood 53 (@53_jim70721) April 26, 2025

In some ways Stewart is similar to Verse. But there’s a difference. While he doesn’t have Verse’s speed, size, and power, he does have something that people have pointed out Verse doesn’t. Verse isn’t “bendy.” I know people know what that is but just to get down in black and white: being “bendy” is a trait in most top outside pass rushers where they can get around blockers at full speed by adjusting their hips to glide past the tackle–it depends on getting low and changing direction very quickly without losing speed. Robert Quinn had that in spades–he could bend under the blocker’s arms and turn the corner with full balance at full speed.

Verse is not a “bendy” pass rusher. He is all about speed, power, and aggressive tenacity. He has many ways of using his power but he is essentially a power rusher.

Stewart does have some speed and power, though not at Verse’s level. He does have the same kind of ferocious tenacity, though on a smaller frame.

But all reports on Stewart say he is a “bendy” rusher. If that holds up it makes him a complement to Verse. The Rams will have Verse, Turner, Fiske, Young, and Stewart (and I think Paul can pass rush too, though more as an opportunistic and decisive blitzer type).

From posts in this thread, all quotations from analysts:

The Coastal Carolina transfer flashed his relentless motor and elite bend around the edge

He’s a decisive, linear rusher with the get-off and bend to win at the top of the rush

Able to bend hips and strike with good lift at point of attack.

They do Stewart at 39:24 in. It’s a rave.

from https://www.nfldraftbuzz.com/Player/Josaiah-Stewart-LB-CoastalCarolina

Draft Profile: Bio

From Bronx street ball to the bright lights of the Big House, Josaiah Stewart’s path to the NFL draft embodies the grit that defines his game. The 6’1″, 245-pound edge defender burst onto the college scene as a freshman at Coastal Carolina, shattering the program’s single-season sack record with 12.5 quarterback takedowns. After earning Freshman All-American honors and dominating the Sun Belt for two seasons, Stewart took his talents to Ann Arbor, where he evolved from situational pass rusher to team captain for the national champion Wolverines.

Stewart’s two-year stint at Michigan proved he could hang with elite competition, racking up 14 sacks and 21.5 tackles for loss while earning All-Big Ten honors both seasons. His signature performance came in the 2024 Rose Bowl semifinal against Alabama, where he terrorized the Crimson Tide’s offensive line for seven tackles and repeatedly forced their quarterback off his spot in crucial moments.

The former three-star recruit who played just one and a half seasons of high school ball due to COVID-19 has developed into one of the most polished pass rushers in this draft class. His production speaks volumes
– 30 career sacks, 46 tackles for loss, and consistent disruption against top-tier competition. Most impressively, Stewart’s game took a significant leap forward in 2024, leading Michigan’s defensive front with 13 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks while earning second-team All-Big Ten honors.

Scouting Report: Strengths

Explosive first step causes instant problems for tackles, consistently winning the edge
Masterful hand technician who sets up rushes with euro-steps and stems, keeping blockers guessing with a deep arsenal of rips, swims, and cross-chops
Natural leverage player who plays with outstanding pad level, allowing him to get under bigger tackles’ pads despite lacking prototypical size
Elite motor shows up constantly on film – routinely makes hustle plays 15-20 yards downfield and racks up coverage sacks through pure determination
Sophisticated pass rush plan demonstrates high football IQ, consistently setting up counter moves and adapting mid-game when initial approach gets stymied
Surprisingly stout at the point of attack against tight ends, using natural leverage and compact frame to hold his ground better than size suggests
Quick processor who sniffs out screens and draws, showing ability to quickly transition from rush to pursuit when plays develop away
Scheme versatile player who’s shown ability to play both standing up and hand in dirt, while also displaying comfort dropping into shallow zones

Scouting Report: Weaknesses

Undersized frame at 245 pounds (6th percentile) creates issues against power-oriented offensive tackles who can absorb his initial burst and reset anchors
Below-average arm length (32 3/4″) limits ability to consistently separate from blocks once offensive linemen latch on with proper technique
Struggles to maintain gap integrity against double teams and down blocks, occasionally getting washed out of his run fit on power schemes
Limited ankle flexion affects ability to bend the corner at sharp angles, forcing him to take wider angles that give quarterbacks time to step up
Can get overeager as a rusher, occasionally running himself out of plays by getting too far upfield against mobile quarterbacks

Scouting Report: Summary

I’m convinced he’s going to make defensive coordinators look smart on passing downs from day one. His USC game was a masterclass in pass rush setup – watching him euro-step outside then explode inside against their right tackle three times showed the kind of sophisticated rush planning that translates immediately. The real eye-opener came against Alabama, where he consistently pressed the pocket against their NFL-caliber tackles despite giving up 50+ pounds.

The tape against Ohio State and Washington revealed his limitations – when teams committed to running at him with double teams and power schemes, he struggled to maintain his ground. But his response to these challenges spoke volumes about his football character. Even after getting washed out early, he kept fighting and adjusted his attack angles, eventually forcing crucial pressures in both fourth quarters. This mental toughness and adaptability remind me of what made Haason Reddick successful despite similar size concerns.

Give me Stewart lined up in a Wide-9 technique where he can unleash that explosive first step, or let him work as a stand-up rusher who can threaten both inside and outside track rushes. He’s shown enough on tape against elite competition to warrant a second-round selection. While his frame may limit his ceiling as an every-down player, his refined pass rush arsenal and competitive toughness will make him a valuable pressure player from day one. The improvement in his hand usage from his Coastal Carolina tape to his Michigan film suggests he’s still ascending as a technician.

Los Angeles Rams PR@TheLARamsPR
Third-round pick, OLB Josaiah Stewart (@josaiah_stewart), didn’t start playing football until midway through high school, however he became an immediate difference-maker at @CoastalFootball where he tallied 12.5 sacks as a freshman in 2021, the most in the Sun Belt Conference and the most by a freshman in the FBS that season.

Last season at @UMichFootball, he led the Wolverines in sacks (8.5), tackles for loss (13) and forced fumbles (two). He was voted to the All-Big Ten Second-Team following the season.