Myles Garrett will keep Rams from losing a beat where no one will notice

The hype surrounding Myles Garrett's anticipated impact on the Los Angeles Rams' defense revolves, rightfully, around his dominance in the pass rush. This is the single-season sacks record holder we're talking about, with a career average of nearly one per game. Garrett should immediately elevate the pass rush to another stratosphere. 

That's not all Los Angeles will need him to do. The player whose roster spot Garrett replaces, former Defensive Rookie of the Year Jared Verse, combined with Byron Young to form an elite run-stopping duo. By ESPN's edge run-stop win rate last season, Verse ranked second (35 percent) while Young finished third (32 percent). 

Garrett will be tasked not only with leading the charge to the quarterback, but also with ensuring the Rams run defense doesn't miss a beat. Good news: if there was ever a man for the job, it's him.

Rams will only be better against the run with Garrett

Naturally, setting the all-time season sacks record tends to overshadow everything else. Garrett prides himself, however, on being just as dominant against the run, and the numbers back him up. 

In 2025, Garrett paired his top-ranked PFF pass-rush grade, a 93.3, with the third-ranked grade in run defense, an 82.5. In each of the past two seasons, he has led the league in tackles for loss, including an eye-popping 33 last year. He has recorded 17-plus TFLs every year since 2021. 

Win rate and PFF ratings are, of course, two different metrics. Garrett does not appear on ESPN's Top 10 run-stop leaderboard. Verse, meanwhile, received a questionable 62.0 PFF run-defense grade, easily below average. 

The truth is likely somewhere in the middle. Both Garrett and Verse are elite in both phases, and the Rams have nothing to worry about against the run with Garrett taking over for Verse.

Setting a strong edge has been crucial to LA's defensive identity in recent seasons. Even as Young became the first Ram with double-digit sacks since Aaron Donald in 2021, the pass rush has gained its strength from a by-committee approach. Not since Donald's franchise-record 20.5 sacks in 2018 has any LA defender reached 15 in a season. 

Garrett will look to change that in 2026. The better question might be whether he breaks Donald's franchise benchmark. 

But while Garrett's sacks tally will be the focus of game recaps and highlight reels, Chris Shula's defense won't lose a half-step stopping the run, either. If Garrett's track record is to be believed, it should only lurch forward.

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