Latest Rams free-agent signing just made LA's pass rush totally unfair

What has happened to the Los Angeles Rams productive pass rush? Since the Week 8 BYE, and in a series of three victories, the entire defense has managed just one quarterback sack. That is not going to get it done as the competition heats up. The same pass rush that put up 16 quarterback sacks in two playoff games has just one in three games.

Well, according to Jordan Shultz of the Schultz report, general manager Les Snead noticed that element of the Rams defense as missing recently. The thing is, he has the power to do something about it, and he just did. He signed fully healthy outside linebacker Jesse Luketa, a former promising Penn State edge rusher who was drafted in the 2022 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals.

Tuketa was a three-year edge rusher for the Cardinals, appearing in 31 games with three starts. Standing 6-foot-3 and weighing 253 pounds, he certainly looks the part of an NFL quarterback sacker. In just 188 defensive snaps in 2024, he put up 3.0 quarterback sacks and 21 tackles.

Now, he'll add his prowess for sacking opposing quarterbacks to LA's defense

Jesse Luketa is an impressive under-the-radar signing for Rams

Jesse Luketa arrived in the NFL as a versatile inside/outside linebacker rookie prospect. But his calling card may have been his special teams production. He certainly got plenty of work on special teams with Arizona, and that could be an area of particular interest that prompted Snead to add him in time for the final seven games.

But don't discount his defensive capabilities at all. He is an experienced NFL linebacker who can slide to the inside or the outside. Think of former DC Brandon Staley's favorite, Justin Hollins, and you are on the right track.

He appeared to show true NFL promise for the Cardinals in 2024. But a significant thigh injury ended his season in a contract year, and Arizona simply did not re-sign him. He is reportedly completely healthy now and upgraded by signing on with Los Angeles, a team that very much appears to be playoff-bound.

How quickly might Luketa make an impact? Well, that's up for speculation. Luketa was away from football for nearly a year. So it's naive to think that he will appear on the defensive side of the football anytime soon. But there are opportunities for him to show up in coverage.

And who knows? If he shows initiative and is capable of contributing, he could find himself in a rotation as the team makes a playoff push once more. Stay tuned. Things just got interesting.

As always, thanks for reading.