The Los Angeles Rams defense enjoyed success across the board in 2025. They allowed the 10th-fewest points this season, finished eighth in sacks and fifth in turnovers forced.
A lot of that success came from the veteran leadership up and down the roster, but Rams rookie outside linebacker Josaiah Stewart also contributed greatly when he was on the field. Despite only playing 374 defensive snaps, Stewart finished the year eight in “splash plays” among rookies, per The Athletic’s Austin Mock. These plays result in negative yards for the opposition, which include sacks, pressures, tackles for loss and third-/fourth-down stops.
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Stewart, who went in the third round and had to play behind the likes of Jared Verse and Byron Young, finished behind only James Pearce, Jack Sawyer, Abdul Carter, Jalon Walker, Donovan Ezeiruaku, Tonka Hemingway and Princely Umanmielen. Three of those players are first-rounders, Ezeiruaku is a second-rounder, Sawyer and Umanmielen were third-rounders like Stewart and Hemingway was a fourth-round pick.
The difference, apart from which round they were selected, is the opportunity share between Stewart and the seven players ahead of him on this list. Only Sawyer, Hemingway and Umanmielen saw fewer defensive snaps that Stewart among the top-eight players in splash play rate.
So long as Verse and Young play for the Rams, Stewart will be a situational player in L.A. But that’s OK. He proved in 2025 that he can still make an impact despite limited playing time. His snaps will grow as his game develops. For now, three sacks and 22 combined tackles with six quarterback hits is a great starting point for Stewart.
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This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Rams LB among NFL rookie leaders in ‘splash plays’
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