What’s Next for Josaiah Stewart?

The Los Angeles Rams drafted Josaiah Stewart from the University of Michigan in the third round of the 2025 NFL draft. Coincidentally, they also drafted Blake Corum last year in the third round, and he was also a part of the Michigan Wolverines team that won the National Championship two years ago.

Just like Corum, Stewart is looking to crack the Rams rotation and have an impactful year with the Rams in 2025. Unlike his former college teammate, the road to becoming a piece of the Rams' game plan may be more difficult for Stewart.

The reason I say that is because Corum just has to worry about the man in front of him in the depth chart, while Stewart has to contend with a lot of players in front of him on the depth chart, while also having to navigate being a rookie in the NFL.

He's the next man up behind Bryon Young, but the Rams are going to want to be ultra-aggressive in 2025 to maximize their chances of winning one more Super Bowl with Matthew Stafford as their play caller. If Stewart isn't ready to play yet, the Rams would have no problem giving some of his snaps to Nate Landman or another player who is ready to contribute.

However, I believe that Stewart knows what role he has to play in order to ensure playing time and will make an impact despite there being so much youth around him. Wyatt Miller is a staff writer for therams.com, and he stated what he believes is next for Stewart.

"Stewart joins a young outside linebacker room featuring the reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year, Jared Verse, along with third-year player Byron Young. The pair combined for 121 pressures last season (Verse supplied 77), and they were relieved by the likes of do-it-all outside linebacker Michael Hoecht (now with the Bills). Stewart will look to earn a spot in the rotation with the elite efficiency he provided at Michigan last season", said Miller.

Still only 22, Stewart's adjustment to NFL-level competition will be a learning curve, but he has plenty of players around him he can ask for help, including last season's Defensive Rookie of the Year award winner.

Sharing a defensive line with Jared Verse, who soaks up a lot of attention from offensive linemen, will make Stewart's job so much easier and will make it so his impact on the game is more pronounced. Stewart has a bright future with the Rams, and it'll be interesting to watch his debut and how he's able to handle what the Rams need out of him.