Rookie radar: Rams may have found hidden gem in Josaiah Stewart

Quiet production often reveals the truest picture of a rookie’s trajectory, and Josaiah Stewart has been exactly that so far the Los Angeles Rams: Quietly disruptive, quietly impactful, and quietly carving out a role in one of the league’s most youth-driven fronts.

Through the first four weeks, the former Michigan edge rusher has logged six pressures, a sack, a quarterback hit, four hurries, and two tackles while operating as part of a rotational wave of pass-rushers.

What jumps off the screen isn’t size or length -- Stewart has always been undersized by traditional edge standards -- but how he compensates with twitch, leverage, and bend.

His first step is sudden, and he gets underneath offensive tackles before they anchor, winning with burst and compact power rather than long-arm extension. In obvious passing situations, his speed off the edge forces protection to account for him, even when he’s not the primary rusher.

The QB hit in Week 2 at the Tennessee Titans, along with his hurries, tells a broader story: He’s consistently affecting plays even without gaudy snap counts. The Rams have not asked him to be a volume edge yet, but his efficiency within that role has already justified his third-round selection.

Where Stewart fits in LA's defensive front is almost as intriguing as the production itself.

Josaiah Stewart is finding his role in revamped Rams D-line

Los Angeles has leaned heavily into a youth movement since the departure of perennial All-Pro Aaron Donald, assembling a blend of styles and body types that can swarm in waves. Jared Verse and Byron Young provide the length and power prototypes on the edge. Braden Fiske brings interior explosiveness, and Kobie Turner offers positional flexibility.

For Stewart, he adds that change-of-pace element: a smaller, looser rusher who can win the edge with quickness and convert speed to power when he catches tackles off balance.

Defensive coordinator Chris Shula has deployed him smartly, often rotating him on clear passing downs or late-drive situations when fresh legs can tilt a rep. The more Stewart proves he can hold up in limited run snaps -- shooting gaps, playing with leverage, and setting firm edges despite his frame -- the more his snap share will climb.

The appeal of Stewart coming out of Michigan was always tied to projection: If his traits translate, he brings a spark-plug quality to a defensive line that thrives on pressure by committee. Personally, I was a big supporter of Stewart's profile out of Ann Arbor:

Four weeks in, and that projection looks viable. His sacks and pressures haven’t come in garbage time or against backups. He’s winning real reps in competitive moments.

For a Rams team intent on building an identity around its young nucleus, Stewart doesn’t need to be a headliner to matter. His role is complementary now, but his ceiling as a designated pass-rusher gives Los Angeles another ascending piece in a defensive front that’s rapidly redefining itself.