Rams may have overshot the mark at drafting Michael Hoecht's replacement

Stewart will fill Hoecht's shoes, and more

Michael Hoecht stood 6-foot-4, slimmed down to 267 pounds (from his DT weight of 311 pounds) and ran a 4.65-second 40-yard dash day. Rookie OLB Josaiah Stewart stands 6-foot-1, weighs 249 pounds, and is rumored to have run a 40-yard dash in 4.85 seconds during a private workout for NFL teams.

So he is not as tall, heavy, or fast as Hoecht. So why did the Rams focus on Stewart in the 2025 NFL Draft, selecting him with the 90th overall pick in Round 3?

While Stewart will need to armor up with more muscle to be a true NFL starter, capable of enduring the physical demands of his edge rusher role in the NFL, he brings an energetic bit of chaos to the position. He is a powerful edge rusher, who wins at the point of attack quite often by outhustling his opponent.

It's that hustle that often leads to dominance at the edge, becoming a factor in game outcomes because he wears down his blocker:

But hustle is only one part of Stewart's arsenal.

Where he brings more to the table than Hoecht is his well-rounded skill set. He not only hustles to get after the quarterback, but that same intensity is used to sniff out screens, sweeps, and draw plays. And once he sees the play, he blows it up like a heat-seeking missile.

One of the greatest detractors facing Michael Hoecht was struggling in pass coverage. After all, he was only tasked in that role in the past 2.5 seasons. Stewart has already developed solid coverage skills. Keep in mind that he practiced against Michigan TE Colston Loveland, one of the best rookie tight ends in many years. Because he practiced against elite talent, he brings that powerful pass-coverage prowess to the NFL.

Projected as the 14th-ranked edge rusher in the 2025 NFL Draft, Stewart's draft profile projected him as an NFL plus-starter. And that seems fair, as his 6.30 draft grade exceeds Rams OLB Byron Young (6.25), Nick Hamption (6.00), and Brennan Jackson (6.15). He only trails Rams DROY Jared Verse in terms of draft projections (6.73)

Stewart was projected as an early Day 2 selection who fell to the Rams late in Round 3.

Just like Michael Hoecht, Stewart was a defensive tackle who cross-trained to an edge rusher. Unlike Hoecht, Stewart made the jump in his second college season. When Rams GM Les Snead cited loving players who can 'play Frogger at a faster pace,' he was discussing Josaiah Stewart. Stewart made the jump from two seasons at Coastal Carolina to play two seasons at Michigan for the Wolverines. Despite the jump to a higher level of football competition, Stewart continue to generate high production off the edge.

Stewart was a favorite selection in many NFL mock drafts, often selected in Round 2. He was so popular because he brings tremendous pressure off the edge, can set the edge and turn plays inward, and has solid coverage skills. Hoecht struggled in pass coverage.

Did the Rams overshoot the mark at drafting Michael Hoecht's replacement? Perhaps. We will need to wait and see whether Josaiah Stewart can do it all as well as he did in NCAA football. One thing is certain. He certainly looks like a guy who can fill Hoecht's shoes, and then some.

As always, thanks for reading.

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