Rams Acquire Yet Another Intriguing Pass Rusher

The Los Angeles Rams continued reshaping their defensive front as training camp progresses, adding another young pass rusher to a unit already anchored by elite talent.

On Friday, the team announced the signing of undrafted free agent defensive end Daniel Rickert, a move that underscores how seriously the organization is taking depth behind its top edge players.

Rickert arrives with a physical profile that closely mirrors that of Byron Young. Listed at 6-foot-2, the former Virginia Cavalier brings a lean, athletic frame built for speed and leverage off the edge.

Last season in Charlottesville, he produced 6.5 sacks and eight tackles for loss across 14 games, finishing with 36 total tackles and one forced fumble. Those numbers did not explode off the page, yet they reflected steady production for a player who transferred from Tennessee Tech and carved out a meaningful role in a Power conference defense.

Virginia defensive coordinator John Rudzinski offered some of the strongest endorsements of Rickert’s game. He labeled the edge defender the Cavaliers’ best player during the 2025 campaign and praised both his productivity and his preparation.

Rudzinski highlighted Rickert’s football intelligence, noting that the engineering major processed schemes quickly and that the X’s and O’s never overwhelmed him. The coach also pointed to natural explosiveness, toughness and a consistent ability to locate the football. Those traits, Rudzinski suggested, elevated the players around him in practice and on game days.

The timing of the signing makes sense within the broader picture of the Rams’ pass-rush group. Myles Garrett and Byron Young form a formidable starting tandem capable of collapsing pockets and disrupting opposing quarterbacks. Yet even the most dominant rushers need rest, and the Rams have already begun evaluating the next wave of talent.

Josaiah Stewart drew positive reviews while Garrett managed general soreness earlier in camp. Veterans such as Keir Thomas and Tomon Fox, along with other recent additions, further populate the rotation. Rickert now enters that competition as a late arrival hoping to stick through the preseason and earn a place on the 53-man roster.

Making the final cut will not be easy. Undrafted free agents face long odds every summer, and the Rams’ defensive line room is already crowded with players who have shown flashes of ability.

Still, Rickert’s combination of length, production and high football IQ gives him a chance to carve out a niche. If he can translate the traits that impressed his college coaches into consistent pressure and special-teams contributions, he could become a valuable piece when the primary rushers need a breather.

For a franchise that has long valued versatility and depth on the defensive front, the addition of Rickert represents another calculated attempt to build surplus talent.

The Rams understand that sustained success in the NFL depends as much on the players who rotate in as on the stars who start.

Whether Rickert ultimately sticks or becomes a practice-squad contributor, his presence adds one more body capable of pushi