Who is Brennan Jackson, and why must every Rams fan know who he is?

The LA Rams pass rush was a top priority in the off-season. And yet, the team did not chase NFL veterans who were seeking big sacks of cash to put up big sacks on opposing quarterbacks. Pickings were a bit thin in the off-season, even when considering those who were still under contract but available by trade.

Unlike past seasons when the team was willing to dangle valuable draft picks to rent a game-changing veteran, the strategy changed when the team shed expensive veterans after a disappointing 2022 NFL season. The team was no longer willing to trade valuable picks for instant-impact players.

It was bite-the-bullet time for a front office that had continued to kick the can of NFL finances and salary cap into future years. But after the team suffered an injury epidemic in 2022 that led to a pathetic 5-12 record, the team was no longer in the mood to spend big bucks on players. Quite the opposite, in fact, as the team circled the wagons and retrenched, committing to inexpensive rookies and bargain basement veterans for the 2023 NFL season.

But the roster needed more help, and the front office was more than happy to comply. The 2024 NFL Draft was loaded with talented pass rushers, and the team landed a dandy in Florida State outside linebacker Jared Verse with the 19th overall pick, a spot I never anticipated him falling to before the draft. Verse is a superb and polished pass rusher who can lead a second wave of defensive rookies in 2024. But the Rams were not done addressing the OLB position.

Washington State warrior joins Rams roster

Rookie OLB Brennan Jackson has two things going for him that no other rookie does. He was actually one of the solid fits that we had mocked to the LA Rams this year. The second unique quality about OLB Brennan Jackson is that he is the only rookie drafted by the team who they had met with before the 2024 NFL Draft

So what was it about Brennan Jackson that made him such an obvious and ideal fit for this team? I suppose it all comes down to the fact that he checked both boxes of a passionate player who plays a very physical brand of football.

The Rams need competition among pass rushers, and Jackson is going to push the pedal to the metal throughout trading camp. He was projected as high as a late Day 2 rookie prospect on some draft boards, but the Rams were able to select him in the middle of Round 5 with the 154th overall pick.

Standing 6-foot-4 and weighing 263 pounds, Jackson is a big-bodied bully who love to initiate contact and make tackles. He is a fearless tough-nosed blue collar pass rusher whose greatest fear is not messing up a play, but rather not having a play to make. He competed in the PAC-10, faced some of the nation's best offensive tackles, played pass coverage against some of the nation's best quarterbacks, and remained one of the consistently most feared defenders on the football field.

And that is only going to get better as he competes in the NFL.

A dynamo pass rusher will energize this pass rush

While he arrives as the low guy on the depth chart, don't look for Brennan Jackson to say buried for long. Jackson stood out again and again in college highlights. He dominated with a hand in the dirt as well as in a two-point stance. He exhibits an entire arsenal of pass rush moves that include a bull rush, a swim move, spin move, and does it all with an accelerator that rivals a NASCAR race car.

Can he translate that NCAA dominance into the NFL? While that is a question that nobody can answer just yet, Brennan Jackson has a very healthy outlook for his rookie NFL season. He wants to play football, and will do so on special teams, defense, and likely even offense if it means that he will have a chance to initiate contact.

There really is a lot to love about what this rookie brings to the roster.

While he has been quite promising in shorts and tee shirts so far, the true love-fest will begin when the pads go on. Jackson is as natural of a football as a fish is a water-breather. And pads will bring out the beast, so to speak.

"The biggest thing is staying who I am in terms of being relentless and an energy monster and being physical on the field, because that can never change. And then also just realizing this is going to be a whole new playbook, being a sponge with knowledge, and getting on special teams, be somehow that craves to be on the field to make big impact plays happen. There is no better way than special teams early on, because those are game-changing plays. So bringing that same relentless motor and energy to all phases of the game is gonna help me stay here for a long time"

Brennan Jackson

Jackson knows that it will take a lot to earn a spot and keep it on the 53-man Rams' roster. He knows that the field is quite crowded already, and that he is fighting to stay alive among players who already have a year or more worth of NFL experience.

But catching up will not be a problem for Brennan Jackson.

Jackson put up solide numbers in terms of production and in terms of progressive development for the Washington State Cougars, and he did so against some of the nation's best competitors. That did not stop him from putting up 98 tackles, 24.5 tackles for a loss, 14.5 quarterback sacks, broke up six passes, recovered four fumbles and ran back three for a touchdown, and forced two fumbles.

If he can replicate that level of production in 2024, the defense will be one of the most feared in the NFL. I, for one, believes he can do it.

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