Steve Palazzolo and Sam Monson are two of the most trusted names in the independent sports media. They both shared a podcast together during their time at Pro Football Focus (PFF) and then went on to launch their current venture in the Check the Mic podcast through The 33rd Team.
This week they picked the 2026 breakout stars for each NFL franchise. For the Los Angeles Rams, Palazzolo picked third-year tackle Braden Fiske and Monson selected second-year EDGE Josaiah Stewart.
You can find the full episode
linked below. The quotes are not all-inclusive and there is still more to garner from listening.
Josaiah Stewart
Palazzolo on Stewart:
Undersized, dynamic, speedy, explosive pass rush—or type, who again, now they freed up some snaps there. Obviously, Myles Garrett comes in; Jared Verse goes out. I feel like they can work Josaiah Stewart into the rotation more, get those pass rushers on the field at the same time.
I went kind of looking at his tape. You can still see the stuff from Michigan: the explosiveness, the burst, the work into the ball. I think he can take another step and be a disruptive player with that help around him.
Monson on Stewart:
I like it… I’m a Josaiah Stewart fan. I think he has a chance to be that high-end EDGE three for sure.
Braden Fiske
Monson on Fiske:
I stayed on the defensive line with Braden Fiske as he heads into year three. And you could say, well, he’s already broken out. But I think there’s another level to his game. Fiske is and has been solid through two years.
…that’s what is going to look different with Myles Garrett there—is all the slanting and movement and some of the opportunities where it’s not just, hey, go win one-on-one and, you know, try to run through a chip while you’re doing it.
Palazzolo on Fiske:
I think Garrett’s going to set up for other opportunities on this defense, but Fiske is just a really good fit for what (the Rams) are doing. He needs to improve in the run game.
Towards the end of the episode the duo look back on their chosen breakouts for 2025 and assess accuracy. Palazzolo picked Fiske last year as well and says the tackle has played well through two years, must improve in run defense, and still has another level to reach in his career. Monson picked safety Kamren Kinchens last year and took a victory lap: “I nailed that one.”
