Josaiah Stewart's college teammates have shown him the way with Rams

Josaiah Stewart won a National Championship at Michigan before ever joining the Los Angeles Rams, which he did as a third-round pick in 2025. The edge-rusher transfer spent another season in Maize and Blue before turning pro, a year later than his Wolverines teammates, running back Blake Corum and defensive back Josh Wallace. Funny enough, all three wound up with the Horns.

Much like the other two, Stewart had a relatively quiet rookie year, though a more involved and impactful one than either Corum or Wallace. The best part is that the latter have already given Stewart a blueprint to go from under-the-radar rookie to key-contributor sophomore. 

If he follows in their footsteps, the Rams can expect exciting Year 2 progress from the one-time Wolverine.

Stewart has a ready-made template for taking the next step

For comparison, Corum, the feature back of Michigan's offense, amassed just 207 rushing yards and no touchdowns in his first NFL season. He was, like Stewart, taken in the third round, 83rd overall. Some saw it as a wasted selection.

Corum turned that narrative on its head in 2025, emerging as the second member of the Rams' backfield tandem with Kyren Williams and also as one of the most efficient runners in the league. It all came out to 746 ground yards on better than five yards a pop, plus six touchdowns. This season, he could really explode.

Wallace, an undrafted free agent, occupied a more modest role on the DB depth chart, but he made his mark and should only continue to develop. He nearly doubled his defensive snaps, came up with his first interception, and earned a 71.8 Pro Football Focus grade. For reference, Kam Curl earned a 73.1.

Stewart might relate to Wallace in particular, as both players went from a lower-ranked college program to the top of the hill to cap off their careers. Wallace came over after four years at Massachusetts, while Stewart arrived the same year from Coastal Carolina. Championship trophies for everyone.

As a Rams rookie Stewart was solidly productive, easily outsnapping the first-year workloads of Corum and Wallace. He played all 17 games and finished with three sacks, 21 total pressures, and a 69.1 overall grade, per PFF. Stewart will have to earn his reps this season in an outside pass-rush rotation led by Myles Garrett and Byron Young. 

That doesn't mean he won't, and in fact he could have a prime opportunity to make impact plays due to Garrett's overwhelming influence on the offensive line, creating openings for others. 

If his sophomore jump is anything like his two-time teammates' - and they've shown him the way - the Rams may have their next young star already in hand.

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