NFL experts are only starting to recognize what Rams fans have known all along

ESPN NFL Insider Jeremy Fowler has a series of articles sequenced this offseason that have surveyed a panel of NFL executives, coaches, and scouts to rank the Top 10 players at each position group. We have already learned that this panel of NFL experts does not view Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams among the Top 10 running backs in the league. Well, if you factor in Honorable Mentions, he is not even considered one of the Top 15 running backs in the league.

But the panel of NFL experts is not always discounting Rams players. In the next up in the series, NFL experts rank the Top 15 interior defensive linemen ahead of the 2025 NFL season. While we'll talk about some glaring omissions, the experts finally took note of one of the Rams' rising NFL stars.

The experts recognized third-year defensive lineman Kobie Turner as one of the 15 best defensive linemen in the NFL. They aren't wrong. Turner, a Round 3 selection in the 2023 NFL Draft, has dominated the line of scrimmage with a unique blend of power and cat-like reflexes that allow him to outmaneuver offensive linemen. That is especially noteworthy, as Turner is one of the most frequently double-teamed defenders in the league.

So what does Fowler share about The Conductor in his article? Merely this

"He has an ability to get off the ball and establish leverage. He has a natural feel to be in the right place at the right time and plays with urgency. He can also close the deal when there is a chance for a TFL, pressure or sack"

Anonymous NFL exec

That's rather complimentary praise for a young man who has only competed in the NFL for two seasons. But don't believe for a minute that this panel of experts exhausted the Rams' noteworthy defenders. The group missed out on two other Rams defensive linemen who should be on this list. They are:

DT Braden Fiske

Much like rookie DL Kobie Turner, Florida State rookie defensive tackle Braden Fiske did not exactly arrive in the NFL with a warm welcome from NFL analysts. Some analysts did not like the fact that Fiske was an early Round 2 selection in the 2024 NFL Draft. Other analysts did not like the price paid by the Rams to trade up and select Fiske. But after just one rookie season, Braden Fiske was a finalist for NFL DROY.

As a rookie defensive lineman, Fiske led the team with 8.5 quarterback sacks. That placed him as the 22nd best in quarterback sacks in the NFL, tied with Denver Broncos' Zach Allen, Los Angeles Chargers' Tui Tuipulotu, and New York Giants' Brian Burns. Zach Allen made the list. Hmmm.

Fiske suited up for 661 defensive snaps. While a solid workload, that number leaves room for plenty of speculation over the question of whether more snaps might equate to more sacks. DE Zach Allen played 964 defensive snaps, nearly 50 percent above the number of snaps Fiske played.

NT Poona Ford

If it's only quarterback sacks that generate interest from NFL experts, then I understand why the Rams' newest nose tackle, Poona Ford, did not make this list. But I suspect that it's something far more sinister. I don't see that any sub-6-foot-0 defensive lineman will ever be viewed objectively by the general population of NFL executives, coaches, and scouts. Thankfully, the Rams football organization is not among them, and why this Rams team continues to be so successful.

The Rams understand the fundamental measures that are prerequisites in the trenches: Low center of gravity, wingspan, active hands, good footwork, rush-to-power ratio, agility, stamina, and passion. Height is not only not a fundamental prerequisite, but tall players tend to have higher centers of gravity.

That simply is not something anyone needs to fear with a 5-foot-11, 310-pound nose tackle. Like a mighty oak, Ford plants his feet and seems to draw on the power of the Earth itself. With a low center of gravity and long arms, Ford masters leverage against offensive linemen. Last season, he parlayed 604 defensive snaps into 39 tackles, eight tackles for a loss, nine quarterback hits, 3.0 quarterback sacks, and one interception.

Ford's style of play very much resembles that of Kobie Turner but with more experience and leveling up on run defense.

NFL experts may only view one Rams defensive lineman among the NFL's Top 15, but I argue that the Rams boast three players in the running. Let's see how this all plays out.

As always, thanks for reading.