Blockbuster trades have punctuated the news about the Los Angeles Rams defense in 2026. The edge unit, already a team strength, took another step forward with the addition of six-time All-Pro Myles Garrett. For the soon-approaching season, he be complimented by a deep bench.
The edge position has evolved from defensive ends of the past, they were always the most athletic of the big guys in front, but now are certified playmakers that can change the flow and even its outcome of game with a single play.
With explosive plays and forcing turnovers being such harbinger of victory, it’s almost a necessity that every successful team boasts game breaker off the edge.
The 2026 Rams are blessed with a deep edge room featuring two potential All-Pro’s, complimented by a pair of backups that are short on experience, but long on effort/potential and primed for rotational success. Behind those Top 4, there’s a handful of players pushing for their slice of the pie. Let’s meet them.
The new guy
Myles Garrett 6’4” 272 lb.
A lot has been expected of Garrett. He was a Top 5 high school recruit, garnered All-American accolades in all three college seasons, and was the Number 1 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. Although a late training camp injury kept him from being a Day 1 starter and shelved him for five games, he’s produced at a Hall of Fame level since. He’s booked double-digit sacks in eight straight seasons. He’s already 20th all-time in sacks and 12th all-time in tackles for loss.
Clearly a generational talent, now it’s Rams fans turn for high expectations. Garrett is in his prime and will have a superior cast of supporting characters. Fans may see more four-down fronts from the L.A. defense, because Garrett has played predominantly with a hand in the dirt and outside the the shoulders of opposing offensive tackles.
Returnees
Byron Young 6’2” 250 lb.
In the final year of his rookie contract, Young has proven to be a durable, steady edge providing a solid return on his mid-Round 3 draft stake. In 2025, according to Next Gen Stats, he led the defensive front starters in tackles for loss (12), hustle stops (12), sacks (12), QB hits (29), and pass rush pressure percentage (14.1). He was 2nd in total pressures (54) and stops (62). He also dropped into coverage on 121 of his 813 snaps (15%).
A stellar blend of speed and power, Young was a raw prospect coming out of college and has consistently worked to upgrade his game.That improvement shows in his year-to-year on-field production. At his best, he is explosive off the snap and uses good pad level to put blockers on their heels.You can see on his 2025 film that he has improved his hand strikes/swipes and now uses/stacks more moves. Enough speed and dip to get around the corner. Not just a pass rusher, Young has become a stout against the run and his burst in pursuit leads to many hustle tackles. Decent in pass coverage, I’ve never liked the Rams dropping their edges into coverage so often, but he’s got the agility and change of direction.
Josiah Stewart – 6’1” 249 lbs
The narrative on Stewart coming out of college was that he was a Top 50 prospect, but for whatever reason, chose not to test at the NFL Combine or Michigan Pro Day. In a private, individual testing/workout, he performed poorly. He fell into the Rams lap at #90. He’s a bit under-sized, but plays much bigger and fits the Rams inclination for players that have success at smaller schools and the continue that production at a higher level of competition.
The Rams got Stewart’s feet wet early, he played in all 20 games as a rookie, 374 snaps on defense and another 121 on special teams. His game film doesn’t show a lack of athleticism, he looks to have good get-off and enough speed to get around tackles outside. His pursuit speed looks to be above-average and bolstered by good angles and 100 percent effort. Out in space and into coverage, he appears to be agile and loose-limbed. While he still needs some strength work to stack and shed bigger pro’s, Stewart is cognizant of where the ball is/going and flows to it naturally.
Desjuan Johnson – 6’2” 285 lb.
Johnson was drafted out of Toledo in Round 7 of 2022 as an interior player, he lined up primarily between the tackles in college. He made the Rams opening roster in his first two seasons and was employed inside. In mostly mop-up work, he saw action in 21 games and logged 207 defensive reps. For 2025, Johnson was moved outside to edge. The Rams previously had some success transitioning another athletic defensive lineman, Michael Hoecht, to the perimeter. It took over half the season, but when Johnson became comfortable with the switch, from Week 14 through the playoffs he was part of the edge rotation.
While not a gifted athlete, Johnson does show good get-off, violent hands, and good contact balance. His mass was below par when playing inside and he could be moved, now standing up on the outside, he sets a strong edge and has the strength and hand technique too fight off blockers. Uses his basic inside pass rush move, bullrush, swim, chop and has nice head/shoulder jab feint. Not a bendy player that going use speed to get the corner and flatten out.
Keir Thomas – 6’2” 272 lb.
Somewhat similar to Johnson, Thomas was a hand in the dirt lineman in college. Signed as an undrafted free agent in 2022, he made the opening roster, but has bounced back and forth from the practice squad. He spent all of 2025 on the Injured Reserve List. In three partial seasons, he’s played in 17 games with one start and charted 204 defensive snaps and 147 more on special teams.
Steady well-rounded game and plays with full effort. The problem is that he doesn’t have the mass to play inside in the NFL and lacks the athleticism to be valuable stand-up edge. Good handwork, plays with leverage, and naturally flows towards the ball, staying engaged lets him make back door tackles.. Good linear speed and burst to shoot gaps.Solid tackler, but lumbers a bit when navigating space in coverage.
Undrafted practice squad battle
Tomon Fox – 6’2” 253 lb.
Signed as a free agent on June 2 when the Rams placed 2026 undrafted edge Eddie Walls on the Injured Reserve List. Fox treks west after four seasons with the New York Giants. Signed as a UDFA in 2022, he bounced between their active roster and practice squad, playing in 37 games with two starts and logging 621 defensive snaps along with another 564 on special teams.
Fox plays an effort-based game and while his skills are enough to compete for a roster spot, they are not enough to make an real impact. Not a bad player to have at the bottom of the roster. He offers a veteran’s approach, can spell staters off the edge, and play some special teams. He’s also familiar with moving up and down from the roster to practice squad.
Darryl Peterson – 6’1” 248 lb.
Compact build although a bit short. Peterson meets the NFL size/athleticism standards in arm length, speed/burst, agility/change of direction, flexibility/balance, and upper/lower body explosion. Although he played standing up early in his career, Wisconsin miscast him as an interior player with a hand in the dirt. Reportedly bulked up to play inside last season, often lining up as a 3tech, shading between the guard and tackle.
On film, the violence in his hands stands out, he chops and swipes blockers attempts to strike or latch on. When lineman can get ahold of him, they can move him. Relentless effort. Sets a strong edge, good patience on RPO, doesn’t bite on fake the handoff and give up the edge. Can bullrush outside with a little runway, but wins inside by getting off first into gaps with leverage and good contact balance. Relentless effort. Peterson plays a solid, all-around game, not elite at any one aspect, but no glaring weakness.
Wesley Bailey – 6’5” 265 lb.
Matches prototypical frame and length for edge position with outstanding testing for athleticism. As athletic as he is, he’s more of a power-based player. As a senior he played roughly a 50/50 mix on stand up and hand in the dirts snaps. Oftimes, Louisville moved him down inside on pass rush situations. With Bailey, there’s a good starting base to work with and a developable ceiling,
On film, he shows enough pass rush moves in his toolbox, but he doesn’t string them together. Good swipe/chop when attacking outside with adequate dip and contact balance turning the corner. I wouldn’t call him bendy, but has good change direction for a big guy. Against the run, his high pad level limits his anchor. And he can get lost in traffic. He uses his length leverage, is a solid tackler, and stays with plays to make hustle and back side tackles. At his best, he can be handful for offensive linemen with his athleticism and power, but he can also disappear in games. Cleaning up his tendency to play too upright and developing a pass rush plan seems solvable with coaching.
2026 outlook: Who’s in and who’s out?
With all the defensive front depth the Rams have, it’s hard to make a case for more than four edges. The two undrafted rookies Darryl Peterson and Wesley Bailey will battle with veterans Tomon Fox and Keir Thomas for a spot, maybe two, on the practice squad. Peterson and Bailey strike me as better prospects than the Rams edge camp bodies from the recent past, but not enough to challenge. Fox offers experience, but not a ceiling. Time may have run out on Thomas, not big enough on the interior and not agile enough to play outside and in space.
It will be interesting to see if Desjuan Johnson has leaned out his body, more appropriately for edge work. After a full season in his new role, one that suits him, he could make some noise in the rotation at E#4. Josaiah Stewart should build on his assignment-based and hair-on-fire style, a Year 2 blossom into a solid, all-around game. If Byron Young continues and takes another rung on his upward growth, his ceiling is All-Pro. And finally, there’s zero reason to think that Myles Garrett will not stack up another stellar season and make the whole defense better.
