Shouldn’t the Rams have a top-5 defensive line going into the season?
If Jared Verse is as good as so many opponents say he is, then the Los Angeles Rams deserve to be higher in PFF’s defensive line rankings. The Rams checked in at ninth on the list, perhaps unfairly situated behind the Broncos, Browns, and Lions.
Even though PFF says that their own rankings have three of L.A.’s defensive linemen ranked in the top-7 last season — including Verse, Braden Fiske, and Poona Ford — they couldn’t do better than ninth overall?
Many expected the Rams’ defensive line to fall off following Aaron Donald‘s retirement, but the unit has remained above average thanks to its young players, including a pair of impactful rookies. First-year interior defender Braden Fiske generated pressure on 13.2% of pass plays in 2024, which ranked fifth at the position, while fellow rookie Jared Verse’s 89.3 PFF overall grade placed seventh among edge defenders.
Los Angeles added interior defender Poona Ford in the offseason, and he brings an 85.3 PFF overall grade that ranked fifth among interior defenders this past season.
PFF’s grades were also high for Kobie Turner (75.1) and relatively decent for Michael Hoecht (64.7) and Byron Young (61.6). In fact, even though Fiske had such a higher pressure rate of 13.2% on pass plays, he had a worse overall grade then Verse, Turner, Hoecht, Young, and Bobby Brown III.
The Rams have now replaced Brown with Ford but couldn’t crack a top-6 place in these rankings even though Turner and Young will be going into their third season and Verse, Fiske will be going into their second. It would seem as though their trajectory as a unit is only going up.
L.A. got at least seven sacks from Fiske, Turner, and Young last season but Verse has the highest ceiling of anyone on the defense. He could be a 15-sack player in the near future.
The top-5 of PFF’s rankings were the Steelers, Eagles, Giants, Texans (the Rams Week 1 opponent) and the Bills.
PFF is banking on certain players being healthy, like Joey Bosa and Aidan Hutchinson, while also putting the pressure on rookies like Abdul Carter and Mason Graham. But the Rams aren’t just a projection: They were great last season and the defensive line should be even better in 2025.
Ninth today. First tomorrow?