Josaiah Stewart is a certain type of prospect, and that’s what the Rams prefer
If recent day two hits like Kobie Turner, Braden Fiske, and Byron Young say anything about the Rams’ ability to find pass rushing talent after the first round, then Josaiah Stewart is just the latest example of Les Snead’s ability to win the draft without high picks. The Rams picked Stewart with the 90th overall pick, not typically where you find elite pass rushers, but Snead’s tendencies to favor “transfer up” defensive linemen like him has worked out in the past.
As detailed by Sam Bruchhaus of Sumer Sports, the Rams prefer defensive linemen like Stewart who transfer up schools to increase their draft stock prior to taking them in the draft:
“They love transfer up defensive linemen that have excellent production and excellent analytical grades. The trade up and the Josaiah Stewart pick are what signaled that to me this year. They’ve done it five times now: Kobie Turner, Byron Young, Jared Verse, and Braden Fiske, and now we add Stewart, who was at Coastal Carolina and transfers up to Michigan and is immensely productive…
They seem to believe that if a DL who exhibits good to great athletic traits can go from a lower level to a power 5 level and succeed at the same degree, that will track to the NFL.”
“[The Rams] love transfer up defensive linemen.” – @sambruchhaus @lindsay_rhodes & Sam went through their 2025 NFL Draft Winners on The SumerSports Show — including the Rams pick of Michigan Edge Rusher, Josaiah Stewart.#GoBlue #NFLDraft2025 #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/qgFHftzshx
— SūmerSports (@SumerSports) April 30, 2025
Josaiah Stewart had an incredible 12.5 sacks as a freshman DT at Coastal in 2021, then transferred to Michigan after one more year the Sun Belt as a linebacker. Stewart helped Michigan win a national championship in 2023, recording 5.5 sacks, then in 2024 he had his best year for the Wolverines yet: 8.5 sacks, 13 tackles for a loss.
Stewart gives the Rams yet another exciting pass rusher to add to the mix. He’s 6’1, 249 lbs, just shy of 32” arms, and he plays with “all day aggression and thirst for contact,” per Lance Zierlein. So while he is a bit undersized, that has never deterred the Rams before.
It has worked in the past. So has seeking transfer up defensive linemen who fall to day two. Could fifth time be a charm?
