Los Angeles Rams defensive end Braden Fiske sees major potential in the defense's pass rush in the upcoming season.
The Los Angeles Rams look like the team to beat in 2026.
After having a secondary that was one of the worst in the league, the team upgraded the unit in a major way.
Los Angeles' cornerbacks were one of their weakest position groups on the team, and that arguably kept them from becoming this past year's Super Bowl champions.
However, the Rams improved that group mightily with the additions of Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson. Adding those two champions could be the difference between hoisting the Lombardi trophy and not. The Rams' defensive upgrades are no joke, and no one is happier about the additions more than defensive end Braden Fiske.
In a recent appearance on the Jim Rome show, Fiske said that he believes the additions in the secondary should help improve the team's pass rush.
"I'm all about it. Sounds like a little bit more time to get to the quarterback," Fiske told Rome last week. "Anytime you can add players to your defense and your team in general, I think it's awesome. That's just a step closer to where we are trying to get to. Like you said, with Trent and Jaylen, then bringing back Kam Curl. I think that was an unbelievable move just because of the force that he is with our defense and what he brings to our defense mentality as a whole. Then, Q-Lake (Quentin Lake) with Kamren Kinchens back there and bringing back E-Man (Emmanuel Forbes), I can't wait to get after it (this season).
"There's so much potential with this team, it's going to be unbelievable."
The Rams' pass rush last season was an elite unit that could disrupt any quarterback in the league. However, they lacked depth, and on top of that, the cornerbacks didn't do them any favors.
Los Angeles' cornerbacks had some major weaknesses, including high-missed tackle rates. The Rams lacked a true shutdown cornerback, but that will be far from the case in 2026.
McDuffie alone fixes a ton of the Rams' cornerback problems. The 25-year-old has a rare combination of high IQ, exceptional short-area quickness and can play anywhere on the football field from the slot to outside the numbers.
One of the biggest aspects of adding both McDuffie and Watson is their ability to be prolific in run defense as well.
McDuffie has an overall run defense grade of 78.5, which ranks 11th on Pro Football Focus. Watson also has a sixth-ranked 83.5 run defense grade. With both corners being of the lockdown type, and can also aid in run defense, this will give the pass rush another element to work with.
It is not shocking to see why Fiske is excited about the cornerbacks being added, as they can help create another layer of defense that opposing offenses have to take into account.
If the Rams' cornerbacks can do their jobs, their overall defense will be one of the best units in the league.