Should Rams be considering edge rusher with 26th overall pick?

Should edge rusher be an option for Rams with 26th overall pick?

Entering the 2025 NFL Draft, the Los Angeles Rams sit in a pretty good spot without any glaring needs. While they could certainly use upgrades in certain positions, the Rams filled many of their needs during free agency which allows them to lean towards the best player available route in the draft. This approach provides flexibility and doesn’t force the Rams into a corner.

As former Rams Director of College Scouting and current Detroit Lions general manager recently said,

“I think you can get in trouble chasing needs sometimes…When you start chasing need, it’s like that need might make sense for right now at this time. We make these picks for future investments. We kind of live in a society that everything is, ‘Right now! Right now! Right now!”

It’s easy to forget that free agency is for the now while the draft is for the future. The players that teams select in the draft are the future of the team. It’s a big reason why good and bad draft classes can be so impactful.

The Rams have built their roster in a way that allows them to focus on best player available and consider the future roster build. They won’t be forced into a corner when they’re selecting 26th overall.

This is the exact approach that I took in the SB Nation NFL Mock Draft. Rams general manager Les Snead will let the draft come to him and not force himself into a certain player or position. While I had my eyes on certain players such as Colston Loveland, Malaki Starks, Jahdae Barron, and Joshua Simmons, all of those players went off the board in four consecutive picks. With the New York Giants moving up to 25 to take Jaxson Dart, there wasn’t any interest in a trade back from 26.

That left me with a somewhat limited board, but also allowed the ability to take a player that could pay dividends in 2-3 years time. With the 26th overall pick of the SB Nation team community mock draft, the Rams selected Tennessee edge rusher, James Pearce Jr. Here was the short-version of my reasoning for the pick,

“This may seem like an odd selection given that the Rams just drafted Jared Verse and also have Byron Young. However, Pearce adds to the identity of the defense, which is the young pass rush. With Verse and Young in place, the Rams can use Pearce as a designated pass rusher early as he develops into a full-time starter.”

SB Nation’s own Michael Pearson added,

“I have to give the Rams for continuing to lean into this young and talented pass rush. Nothing wrong with heavily investing in the position group that helps get them the ball back. Pearce is a little less developed than most of the other edge rushers expected to go in the first round but you can’t argue against the production and upside he brings to an NFL team…Overall Pearce has elite speed to surprise and blow past blockers, but he’s a little more tight-hipped than you’d like, making him a very linear rusher at this point in his development. However, I believe the Rams would already have a plan in place to get the most out of him as a rookie.”

Again, this may seem like an odd selection considering that the Rams just drafted Jared Verse in the first round last season. They’ve also gotten very good production out of Byron Young as a third round pick. The pass rush was a strength of the Rams last season and it might make sense to address a position elsewhere with such a premier pick.

However, it is worth noting a couple of things here. The first is that the Rams opted not to bring back Michael Hoecht in free agency. This is a defense that frequently used three edge rushers which featured Hoecht in a ‘joker’ role. Essentially, Hoecht was able to effectively play in multiple roles between linebacker and edge rusher. This allowed defensive coordinator Chris Shula to be more flexible and create mismatches. Shula also consistently overloaded one side of the defensive line to create 1-on-1 match-ups in obvious passing situations.

Young has the size and athleticism to take on that “joker” role left by Hoecht. The Rams edge rusher ranked third in the NFL in coverage snaps last year which was only behind Hoecht and the Minnesota Vikings’ Andrew Van Ginckel. Among players with at least 50 coverage snaps, Young allowed the fifth-lowest completion percentage and sixth-lowest passer rating.

The Rams could continue to use Young as the primary edge rusher on early downs as he is disciplined against the run and then move him into that “joker” role in specific situations, allowing Pearce Jr. to operate as a designated pass rusher. The Tennessee edge rusher led college football with a 23.4 percent pressure rate.

Additionally, it is worth considering the future of the Rams defense here. As much as some may like to joke that the salary cap is fake, it is very real. Both Young and Turner are heading into year three of their rookie contracts. It may be farther down the line, but Verse and Braden Fiske will be eligible for a new contract at the end of the 2026 season. Decisions are going to need to be made.

As it stands, Turner and Verse will likely be prioritized and then for the right price, the Rams may look to get something done with Fiske. Again, that’s all speculation and the Rams do have the benefit of time.

With that said, at his current trajectory, Verse could end up as one of the NFL’s highest-paid edge rushers. It is highly improbable that the Rams are able to retain both Verse and Young. Additionally, when the Rams drafted Young, a primary reason for taking him was because of his floor as a player. Entering the NFL at 25 years old meant that he was more developed and could make an immediate impact. That’s exactly what happened as Young had eight sacks as a rookie. At the same time, it also meant that his developmental ceiling was lower.

That’s not a bad thing and Young has served his purpose well. He’s been an integral piece of the Rams’ competitive rebuild or re-tool. However, Young will be 28 years old at the end of his rookie contract. Meanwhile, Pearce Jr. enters the draft at 21 years old and will be 23 when Young’s contract expires with a potential three more years on his rookie contract.

If Pearce works out, the additional three years gives the Rams some benefit of timing in the case that they would want to bring him back on a second contract. His development track also matches up with that timeline.

Pearce Jr. may not be the most popular pick, but there’s no denying the fit. There’s a reason he ended up as the third overall player on my Rams fits big board. He’s an insanely explosive player with a quick get-off and the speed to excel in a designated pass rusher role early in his career. As Mark Bullock stated,

“That burst and quickness makes Pearce a significant threat to attack the edge on every play, but if tackles overset trying to cut off his speed, he can change direction and work inside without losing much of his speed…Pearce is always a threat to get the edge if a tackle isn’t quick enough to cut him off. That threat can come straight off the snap with his initial burst or midway through the play after engaging in a block. Pearce’s speed is hard to handle when used properly.”

This isn’t to say that the Rams should prioritize edge rusher in the first round. However, it shouldn’t be a position that is completely written off either. Having five years of control over a premier position and adding to the identity of the defense isn’t a bad thing. At the very least, it is something that would have to be considered.