Ridiculous takes about Rams defense will come back to haunt authors

A pass rush built on chaos magic

Perhaps the best part of the 2024 defense is the fact that this team begins with a foundation of four returning veterans who contributed 27.5 quarterback sacks in 2023. They are Kobie Turner, Byron Young, Michael Hoecht, and Ernest Jones. It's no stretch of the imagination to envision that same quartet piling up 33.0+ quarterback sacks this season

And then there is the rookie class of OLB Jared Verse, DT Braden Fiske, OLB Brennan Jackson, and DT Tyler Davis. Is it too much to look for 18.0+ quarterback sacks from the rookies this year? I don't think so. On that alone, the Rams defense likely sports a Top-5 pass rush for 2024. They could do much better.

Don't discount this defense prematurely

While you may disagree with the optimistic view that i hold about this defense's potential in 2024, you must also then acknowledge the extremely pessimistic view held by skeptics like Benjamin Solak. By season's end, this defense is far more likely to end up in the top half of NFL defenses than the bottom half.

Even if the team struggles to contain opposing offenses early in 2024, keep in mind that the season is 17 games long, and the offenses faced early this year are expected to be some of the NFL's most potent scorers. It's not about one game or even two or three games. Top defenses must be able to put up consistently stingy resistance to scoring attempts by NFL offenses week in and week out.

That is something this young and untested defense is very prepared to do.

So sit back, grab your popcorn, and enjoy the show. And as always, thanks for reading.