What is the Deepest Position Group on Rams Defense?

Among the top teams in the NFL, there is always a team with one clear strength on either side of the football. Defensively, that could mean having an elite defensive line, a stout secondary, a hardcore group of linebackers, or a lethal pair of pass rushers that can terrorize the edges.

The Los Angeles Rams have worked to rebuild their defensive line through the draft and have been successful in the process. When the Rams lost Aaron Donald to retirement, they didn't try to replace him, but they did add players who could fill multiple roles and do them well at a sufficient level early in their careers.

Defensive coordinator Chris Shula has been tasked with continuing to maintain stability on his defense, one that began to emerge as a vicious unit late into the season and playoffs. If anything, it is his defensive line and edge group together that make the Rams defense an exciting unit to watch for during the 2025 season.

The Rams defensive trenches are the deepest group on their side of the ball. There are so many standout players to choose from that most of the stars of this group need their own paragraph.

Jared Verse enters his second year with the arrow pointing into the stratosphere. The 2024 Defensive Rookie of the Year had six total sacks, including the playoffs, while simultaneously becoming one of the best young pass rushers in the NFL. This is the star player of the group and someone that could become one of the best edge rushers in the game in a short time.

Defensive lineman Kobie Turner, the former standout out of Wake Forest, has emerged as a quality starter himself in the trenches. His 17 career sacks are the second-most of any player in the 2023 NFL Draft behind Houston Texans star rusher Will Anderson. Another year of high-end production could make him one of the best defensive linemen in the league by the end of this season.

Despite being an older player for his third season in the league, Byron Young is the most underrated player of this entire defense. He wins with speed and explosiveness, and is third in sacks from the 2023 draft behind Turner and Anderson. Another year of experience alongside Verse could make the two a lethal pass-rush duo.

Braden Fiske and Poona Ford make up the rest of the starters in the defensive front-five for the Rams, giving them a high ceiling in the room. The depth of these trenches also feature players still developing or are entering their rookie seasons, creating some volatility.

Overall, this is a terrific group of players that the Rams have drafted and developed, with the exception of the free agent signing of Ford this offseason. Without a doubt, this is the deepest room on Los Angeles's defense heading into 2025.