JS #10

Josaiah Stewart

Linebacker · Michigan

Third-round steal out of Michigan who graded as one of the NFL's best rookie pass rushers in 2025.

Josaiah Stewart transferred from Coastal Carolina to Michigan and won a national championship before the Rams drafted him in the third round in 2025. Despite going lower than his college production suggested he should, he immediately outplayed his draft slot as a rookie outside linebacker in Los Angeles.

★ National champion at Michigan, 2023

★ Rams' most impactful rookie, 2025 (per PFF)

★ Second among rookie edge defenders in PFF pass-rush grade, 2025

★ Coastal Carolina single-season freshman sack record (12.5)

Path to the league

Stewart set a Coastal Carolina freshman single-season record with 12.5 sacks before transferring to Michigan ahead of the 2023 season, where he won a national championship and earned all-conference recognition in both the Sun Belt and Big Ten. The Rams took him with the 90th overall pick in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft, a selection widely viewed as a value pick given his production.

Career highlights

Stewart broke out in his final Michigan season in 2024, posting nine sacks and a 27.7% pass-rush win rate. He joined a Rams outside linebacker room that already featured reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year Jared Verse and third-year edge Byron Young.

2025 season recap

Stewart played all 17 games as a rookie, finishing with three sacks, six quarterback hits and 22 combined tackles. His 15.3% pass-rush win rate outpaced several players drafted well ahead of him, and PFF's grading had him behind only Giants first-rounder Abdul Carter among rookie edge defenders. He was named the Rams' most impactful rookie of the 2025 season.