Is edge rusher an underrated need for Rams in draft?

The Los Angeles Rams seemed to resolve their issues on the edge by drafting Jared Verse last season with the 19th overall pick. While the Rams are solid with their duo of Verse and Byron Young, they are lacking depth behind those two. That’s especially the case after the Rams opted to not bring back Michael Hoecht in free agency.

Despite edge rusher not necessarily being a top need, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Rams still address the position at 26. A team can never have too many pass rushers and the young pass rush is the identity of the defense. Additionally, Byron Young will be going into year three. With the need to extend Verse, Kobie Turner, and Braden Fiske, the Rams are going to have to make some choices. With Young hitting free agency at 29, the Rams may be better off having a player ready in the wings than paying Young a second contract.

Even if the Rams don’t draft an edge rusher at 26, it will likely still be an option on days two and three of the draft. Again, the Rams simply need depth at that spot given Nick Hampton hasn’t been productive and Brennan Jackson is inexperienced.

Heading into the draft process, one of my goals was to try to match my evaluation process relatively close with how the Rams operate. Obviously, it will never be exact without actually being in the room. At the same time, based on the information that is public and matching player traits with what they’ve drafted in the past, it is possible to get a picture of the type of player the Rams draft and what that process looks like.

One of the big changes that I’ve made this year is placing players into “buckets”. The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue called “Finding Rams” which outlined this bucketing process. Said Rodrigue,

“On his screen, which the scouts cannot see, Snead manipulates what he calls “the call sheet” as they discuss prospects. The sheet looks like a series of rectangles that split players by position into different buckets. There are no round-by-round grades, only four overall tiers into which players are then “bucketed.” By mid-April, all draft-eligible players are split into nine buckets based on the Rams’ finished evaluations, which include the medical and character checks completed in March and, for some, notes from Sugarman’s visits. The buckets aren’t always “rankings” — some are lateral to others.”

Those buckets are broken up into nine different categories which are:

• Bucket 1: Math Changer, Total Package
• Bucket 2: Reliable Starter
• Bucket 3: Math Changing Starter, Range of Caution Flags
• Bucket 4: Impactful Contributor, Clean Profile
• Bucket 5: Talented Enough to Contribute, Less Predictable
• Bucket 6: Trustworthy, but Less Talented
• Bucket 7: Late IQ or PQ
• Bucket 8: Major Concerns, Off Board, or Reconsider After Draft
• Bucket 9: Likely Drafted, Not a Rams Fit

These buckets aren’t rankings or necessarily even tiers. It’s simply a way for scouts to easily visualize the role that they see for a player at the next level and a way to define their fit on the roster. Players can be placed into multiple buckets as no single prospect is just one thing. As Rodrigue noted, in Puka Nacua’s case, he would have been a three, five, and seven.

Eventually, I’ll have fit grades and a full Rams big board

I’ll be doing this with every position group outside of quarterback. Today, we’re looking at the offensive line.

Previous Position Groups

Bucket 1: Math Changer, Total Package

• James Pearce Jr., Tennessee
• Donovan Ezeiruaku, Boston College
• Mike Green, Marshall

Adding a player like James Pearce Jr. to the current version of the Rams pass rush would take it to another level. Pearce Jr. is reminiscent of Chop Robinson in the sense that his get off at the snap is near elite. He is an elite athlete with exceptional pass rush traits. Pearce Jr. also had 10 sacks last year at Tennessee. He is a near-perfect fit for the Rams’ explosive EDGE archetype and could make an immediate impact as a designated pass rusher.

If the Rams want a more complete edge rusher that can hold the edge and brings more size, Donovan Ezeiruaku is the guy. Ezeiruaku has a wide variety of pass rush moves in his tool box and displays a relentless motor in his pursuit to the quarterback. Where Ezeiruaku really impresses though is in the run game. He holds his own against the run and embodies what it means to be an edge defender.

Bucket 2: Reliable Starter

• Donovan Ezeiruaku, Boston College
• Landon Jackson, Arkansas
• Mykel Williams, Georgia
• Shemar Stewart, Texas A&M
• Bradyn Swinson, LSU
• Kyle Kennard, South Carolina
• Oluwafemi Oladejo, UCLA
• Princely Umanmielen, Ole Miss
• Antwaun Powell-Ryland, Virginia Tech

Like Ezeiruaku, Landon Jackson’s ability to control the point of attack in the run game with his length and functional strength set him apart from other edge players on this list. With that said, he lacks an elite first step and has a ceiling as a pass rusher.

Bradyn Swinson is the much better fit in this bucket. The LSU edge rusher has a diverse arsenal of pass-rush moves, strong versatility, and a hot motor. Swinson is a promising pass rusher with a versatile skill set that could fit well in the Rams’ defensive system, especially as a designated pass rusher.

Bucket 3: Math Changing Starter, Range of Caution Flags

• James Pearce Jr., Tennessee
• Mike Green, Marshall
• Mykel Williams, Georgia
• Shemar Stewart, Texas A&M
• Abdul Carter, Penn State

There is a lot to like about Mike Green and without some of the red flags, he may be a top-10 pick. However, there are two sexual assault allegations against him in which he denies. Those allegations instigated his transfer from Virginia to Marshall. Looking past that, Green has a variety of tools, the first-step quickness at the snap, and motor that would immediately benefit the Rams’ defense.

Mykel Williams played most of the 2024 season with a sprained ankle and that clearly had an effect on his performance. Still, this is a player with a lot of potential and versatility. His motor and athleticism are two things that the Rams look for on the edge. However, Williams lacks the initial burst at the snap and is more of a raw player with potential than someone who will make an immediate impact.

Bucket 4: Impactful Contributor, Clean Profile

• Donovan Ezeiruaku, Boston College
• Bradyn Swinson, LSU
• Ashton Gillott, Louisville
• Oluwafemi Oladejo, UCLA
• Princely Umanmielen, Ole Miss
• Antwaun Powell-Ryland, Virginia Tech
• Josiah Stewart, Michigan
• Nic Scourton, Texas A&M
• Barryn Sorrell, Texas A&M

This is a deep draft class when it comes to edge rushers and the defensive line. If the Rams are looking for some depth or a rotational player, they should be able to find that in the middle rounds. Oladejo has a red hot motor which the Rams will like and as a player transitioning from linebacker to the edge, he brings some versatility. He’s still learning the position, but Oladejo has some intriguing traits.

While Umanmielen is more refined, he is still more of a developmental starter. His pass rush still needs some refinement to be an impact player. With that said, his speed, first-step quickness, and pass-rush potential make him an intriguing player.

Bucket 5: Talented Enough to Contribute, Less Predictable

• Jah Joyner, Minnesota
• Josiah Stewart, Michigan
• Que Robinson, Alabama
• Fadil Diggs, Syracuse
• Nic Scourton, Texas A&M
• Tyler Baron, Miami
• Kaimon Rucker, UNC
• Steve Linton, Baylor

Que Robinson has natural athleticism and burst to go with a disruptive first step at the snap. His ability to be moved around the defensive front and rush from multiple spots is something that the Rams will value along with his experience on special teams. He does have an injury history and therefore has limited snaps. That’s a risk worth taking on day three of the draft.

A very intriguing player on the edge is Texas A&M’s Nic Scourton. While he doesn’t have the explosiveness and first-step burst that the Rams like, he does have a wide variety of pass-rush moves. Scourton is an extremely smart player with the ability to set the edge in the run game. His motor always runs hot which the Rams will appreciate. This is a high-floor, low-ceiling type of player, but that’s also a player that can contribute immediately in a rotational role.

Bucket 6: Trustworthy, But Less Talented

• JT Tuimoloau, Ohio State
• Barryn Sorrell, Texas A&M
• Ethan Downs, Oklahoma
• Jack Sawyer, Ohio State
• Ahmed Hassanein, Boise State
• Elijah Roberts, SMU

When it comes to players from Texas, they always require some attention given the Rams and general manager Les Snead’s connection to the school. Sorrel has a strong motor and is a good edge setter in the run game. He also has the ability to play from different spots. Still, like others on this list, first-step quickness is a concern in terms of Rams fit.

Elijah Roberts impressed during the Shrine Bowl, displaying his ability to win inside and on the edge. Roberts is a powerful player with the ability to walk offensive linemen into the quarterback and does a nice job setting the edge in the run game. Still, he lacks the burst that the Rams value and has a tendency to miss tackles.

Bucket 7: Late IQ or PQ

• Que Robinson, Alabama
• Ahmed Hassanein, Boise State
• Sai’Vion Jones, LSU
• Steve Linton, Baylor

Another player that showed out at the Shrine Bowl earlier in the spring was Ahmed Hassanein from Boise State. Like Roberts, Hassanein brings versatility across the defensive line and has a motor that runs hot. However, he lacks the instincts and technique to get on the field as a rookie. That makes sense as he just started playing six years ago. Hassanein is a developmental option on day three.

Bucket 8: Major Concerns, Off Board, or Reconsider After Draft

• Sean Martin, West Virginia

As a team on the cusp of a Super Bowl, the Rams need immediate contributors. While Sean Martin has the physical traits to be an intriguing player, his lack of production, raw pass-rush ability, and the need for further technical development make him a project player.

Bucket 9: Likely Drafted, Not a Rams Fit

• Abdul Carter, Penn State
• JT Tuimoloau, Ohio State
• Jack Sawyer, Ohio State
• Ahmed Hassanein, Boise State
• Elijah Roberts, SMU
• Sai’Vion Jones, LSU
• Sean Martin, West Virginia

A player like Abdul Carter is one of the best prospects in the draft and unfortunately, he likely doesn’t make it outside of the top-5. Even with Carter being a top-5 player, his concerns against the run make him less than a fit than others. JT Tuimoloau has a lot of upside, but his lack of elite first-step explosiveness and inconsistency as a pass-rusher raise some concerns as a Rams fit.