Los Angeles Rams edge rusher Josaiah Stewart has been named as the team's breakout candidate for the 2026 season.
The Los Angeles Rams are heading into the 2026 season with a roster that is expected to make a significant playoff push. With a rebuilt secondary and Myles Garrett in the building, the defense could be one of the best units in the league.
That said, the pass rush alone contains Garrett, Byron Young, Braden Fiske, and more. With a room full of dynamic pass rushers ready for bigger years, it is Josaiah Stewart who has oddly been named the team's breakout candidate for 2026.
According to Ben Solak of ESPN, Stewart is primed for a breakout season this fall.
"Lost in all the Myles Garrett/Jared Verse hoopla is a pretty sick rookie season from Stewart. He was a rotational player with only 166 pass-rush snaps, but that's part of the appeal for Chris Shula's defense.
"Stewart is a subpackage player with legitimate drop ability, so Shula likes him on blitzing downs as a Swiss Army knife. And those 166 snaps were flashy. He can bend, pop with power and finish at the quarterback.
"This is particularly important now that Verse has been swapped for Garrett, who figures to kick inside more often (given his superior size) in subpackage looks.
Stewart is coming off a rookie season in which he was arguably the most impressive of the Rams' first-year players.
The 23-year-old appeared in all 17 games; however, he only accounted for 33 percent of the team’s defensive snaps.
Stewart is likely to see an uptick. The combination of that projected uptick and adding Myles Garrett to the team is set to do wonders for his individual play.
Garrett is expected to create more one-on-one opportunities for the rest of the Rams defense, including Stewart. Although Stewart's playing time was limited as a rookie, he made the most of his chances.
In 2025, the former Michigan Wolverine recorded 22 total tackles, three sacks and the highest pass-rush win rate at 15.3% among all rookie edge rushers.
Even without Garrett in the picture, the Rams' defensive line is loaded with talent, including Kobie Turner, Poona Ford, Young and Fiske.
Even though they are talented and bring a certain element to the line, all are expected to see more one-on-one opportunities that will help their play. Add to the fact that the Rams bolstered their secondary, and this defense has a chance to be the best unit in the sport.
As things stand, Stewart serves as the backup to Young and Garrett. However, if he continues his upward trajectory, don't be surprised if he earns more snaps on passing downs or finds himself on the field during crucial moments late in games.
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