WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. – With a swipe-down of the arms of his blocker, Rams rookie outside linebacker Josaiah Stewart beat Titans left tackle Dan Moore Jr. around the edge to take down quarterback Cam Ward.
Stewart was on the board with his first career sack.
"It felt great," Stewart told theRams.com. "Every place I've been at, just getting that first sack is kind of a feeling that you can do it, and you want to go even harder from there. And we have a great opponent of this week, so it's a great opportunity."
Los Angeles seemed likely to address the pass rush, or at least the outside linebacker position, in wake of Michael Hoecht signing with the Buffalo Bills in free agency this spring. Hoecht's departure left a big void to fill in the rotation, especially as a smart, dependable player they deployed often in their package for known passing situations (third and long, for example).
In Stewart, they drafted a player in the third round who brought a strong reputation of volume and win rate off the edge combined. Per Pro Football Focus, his 27.7% pass rush win rate in 2024 was the best in the country among edge rushers with at least 90 such snaps played.
After Stewart arrived in Los Angeles, he missed a chunk of OTAs with a hamstring injury, according to defensive coordinator Chris Shula. However, Stewart was healthy by training camp, and Shula said he really began to show up once the pads came on during that time. His work ethic in all phases has impressed teammates in the short time he's been in the horns.
"For me, it was just getting in a groove again, getting back on the field, being with your teammates and all that," Stewart said. "But yeah, just getting in the rhythm of the defense, of the scheme, of the speed of ball here, but it was a great transition. I mean, there wasn't crazy things to adjust to, but it was great. I enjoyed my opportunities."
"He takes everything seriously, and he's just like a pro," Young said Monday. "Never seen a guy – other than (Jared) Verse, Verse did the same thing his rookie year – but just a guy like that, he approach everything like a pro. He didn't flinch. He get in the game, and he's ready to go. He's just like us. Getting his first sack, proud of him and everything he do, his development. He asks questions, he's ready to learn. His get-off is insane. Getting pressure to a quarterback, that's something that we need in the room, especially Hoecht leaving, someone definitely need to step up. Him and Nick Hampton definitely did really good yesterday."
Defensive coordinator Chris Shula on Thursday called Stewart "an every down player," also praising the rookie outside linebacker's overall approach and preparation.
"He's a stud," Shula said. "We saw it going into that first game week. He had been kind of in and out with some injuries in training camp, and he was locked in, ready to go. He was a guy (who) as soon as the pads came on in training camp, you felt him. He's an every down player. He can play in the run, he's tough, he's physical, he runs to the ball, he's smart, he can process. For an edge guy going into his third game, he's playing at a really, really high level, and we're excited by what we've seen."
The Rams hope to see more of that this Sunday against the Eagles, whose offensive line is widely-regarded by analysts as the best in the NFL. L.A's defensive front recorded seven sacks collectively in the two teams' previous meeting, the 2024 NFC playoffs divisional round. Stewart continuing to trend in the positive direction he's been on since the start of the season will play an important role in winning that battle at the line of scrimmage.
"(I feel) way more comfortable," Stewart said. "First game, honestly, the speed wasn't as crazy to me of an adjustment, but it is kind of like, slower, but it messes with your mind a little bit, how slow it is compared to college. But two games under your belt, you kind of get adjusted now to the flow of the game, get more comfortable out there, and you get trusted by your teammates and coaches a lot more to go out there and make plays."
