What Does the Rams’ LB Room Look Like in 2025?

I've covered the Los Angeles Rams' offense in its entirety and have begun to cover their defense, starting with their defensive line. Now, I'll take a look at their linebacker room and discuss how it looks heading into 2025, starting with their starting weak-side linebacker, Bryon Young.

Young is ironically a big part of their youthful defense and will be expected to continue playing at the levels he's played at through two seasons so far. In his third season with the team, he's looking to get double-digit sacks and cause even more disruptions in run plays and at the line of scrimmage.

His backup is Josaiah Stewart, a fellow third-rounder who's looking to make an impact on the Rams' defense. He'll be a force to be reckoned with, blitzing the quarterback with his speed and power, and if Young isn't careful, Stewart could snatch away the starting position.

Troy Reeder is their starting left inside linebacker, and the seven-year vet is looking to bounce back from a season in which he was only able to play six games. Though his production has waned a bit with his age, he's still a player who makes smart decisions on the field and a helpful asset that makes this Rams defense that much scarier.

His backup is Nate Landman, a free agent flyer they took a shot on from the Atlanta Falcons. If Landman is able to make a name for himself next season, the Rams have no problem slotting him in as their LILB for the future, as he's younger than Reeder and they're both on expiring deals.

Omar Speights and Chris Paul Jr. will be battling all season long for who gets to be the Rams' starting right inside linebacker. Speights has the nod right now because he already has a year under his belt and looked serviceable in his rookie season, but I wouldn't be surprised if Paul Jr. made noise in training camp and gave Speights a run for his money.

Whoever ends up starting, the Rams will be in good hands, regardless, as both of them are young and will only get better with time. Arguably, their best player on defense is their starting strongside linebacker, Jared Verse.

Verse is looking to build off a phenomenal rookie season, where he won the Defensive Rookie of the Year award. If he can continue to develop into a more refined pass rusher and convert his plentiful pressures into sacks, he may be able to replicate some of the success the Rams saw with Aaron Donald!

Brennan Jackson is Verse's backup, and he saw limited playing time in his rookie season last year, but will hopefully crack the defensive rotation more as the season goes on. He's another young player on a defense full of them; he'll have to take major strides in 2025 to stand out.

Overall, their linebacker room is still up and coming and has a bright future ahead of it. Their ceiling can be even higher than it was in 2024 if Verse steps up and takes a huge leap forward, but with a couple of years of development, this entire unit will be looking like one of the best in the NFL.