Josaiah Stewart gets call from Rams

Van Nuys, CA (News4usOnline)  – The Los Angeles Rams aced their 2024 NFL Draft test with the selections of edge rusher Jared Verse and defensive tackle Braden Fiske. 

Verse and Fiske flipped their rookie seasons into dominant performances that wound up propelling the Rams into the postseason and on the threshold of playing in the NFC Championship game.  

Verse was named the 2024 AP Defensive Rookie of the Year. 

Now that the 2025 NFL Draft has come and gone, the first two picks by the Rams this year could be just as impactful as Verse and Fiske. The Rams chose offense with the first pick, selecting Oregon tight end Terrance Ferguson in the second round at No. 46. 

Looking to add depth to their pass-rushing front, the Rams dipped into the Big Ten Conference and grabbed Michigan edge rusher Josaiah Stewart in the third round at the No. 90 spot. 

Stewart was overcome with emotions in trying to describe  what was it like for him when he received the draft day call from Rams head coach Sean McVay and general manager Les Snead. 

“Just the emotions running through me on that phone call, man, I just couldn’t hold it in,” Stewart said by Zoom in a conference all with reporters. “Even right now, just thinking back on it, everything that went into this moment and all the people that were here supporting me and hearing them, how proud they were of me and everything I do this for, they were all there. I’m just glad it all worked out. I’m just happy to be a Ram. Let’s do it.”

 One attribute that Snead likes about Stewart is his tenacity. 

“It’s interesting,” Snead said after Day 2 of the draft. “With him, it comes to life on the field as someone who is just tenacious, plays urgent, is just going to give more effort than the next guy and then you notice it. He is big. He’s 250 [pounds], but he’s shorter in stature. 

Snead continued, “To see someone go, ‘You know what, I’m going to go toe-to-toe with those pulling guards, getting dirty, as Sean says, the ‘C area,’ play with those big tackles, especially last year against Alabama. They have a first-rounder and they have some big tackles. Someone of a smaller stature even though he’s 250, to see him play tough and physical in there kind of reminds us of a lot of the guys [that] we have.”

The way that Stewart plays, he should fit right in place among the Rams other young defenders. Verse and Fiske head into their sophomore season with the Rams. 

Interior lineman Kobe Turner and edge defender Byron Young are considered the old men of the group as this upcoming season will be their third in the NFL. 

With the success last season from the young defensive line, especially at the end of the year, the Rams defense went from a largely nameless unit into a heralded bunch of talented stalwarts. Stewart, who figure to be in the mix of things, said he had a hunch that he might be joining the Rams. 

“I did a little bit. We didn’t meet a crazy amount, but we had a couple of Zooms,” Stewart said. “We met at my pro day and it went great. They liked the fact of having violent edge rushers in me, [Jared] Verse, Byron Young and that whole d-line. I’m excited to get after it.”

Though Stewart might be slightly undersized (6-1, 245 pounds), McVay believes the two-time Big Ten Conference selection has what it takes to be a big-time player at the pro level. 

“You talk about Josaiah, people say he might measure a little bit undersized, but he doesn’t play undersized,” McVay said.  

Stewart was on the Michigan team that won college football’s national championship last year. As a game disruptor during his senior season, Stewart recorded 13 tackles for losses and 8.5 sacks. 

But before he played football for the Wolverines, Stewart started his collegiate career and became a two-year letterman at Coastal Carolina. Stewart shared what his journey has been like going from a Sun Belt school to a prominent Big Ten institution.     

“It meant everything to me, man. I praise Coastal Carolina so much. I would not be here without them, that university and program. They have brought me so many great memories. They taught me the game of football at the next level, and I’ll never forget them. Moving to Michigan was also one of the greatest decisions I ever made. Again, Michigan taught me everything [about becoming] a pro. They taught me how to be a pro and how to be great at the next level.”

Featured Image: ANN ARBOR, MI – SEPTEMBER 21: Michigan Wolverines defensive end Josaiah Stewart (0) celebrates after a defensive play during the fourth quarter of a Big Ten Conference college football game between the USC Trojans and the Michigan Wolverines on September 21, 2024 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire)