From the moment that the Los Angeles Rams allowed DT/OLB Michael Hoecht to sign with the Buffalo Bills, the rapidly developing pass rush of Chris Shula's defense faced a fork in the road. While he was not the star edge rusher, Hoecht was a versatile and headsy workaholic who was a driving force in the locker room. He was a guy who worked harder, played smarter, and motivated everyone else on the team. And he did it from behind the curtain, allowing the spotlight to shine on others.
But he was effective. Oh yes, the former undrafted defensive tackle from 2020 was blessed with speed. He was a former running back, and could clock a 40-yards dash in 4.65 seconds. Just for comparison purposes, that is as fast as Rams featured running back Kyren Williams. It's no wonder that former DC Raheem Morris retrained Hoecht to the pass rush realm.
Morris was very disappointed in the Rams' pass rushers in 2022 and released multiple players midseason. He even released productive veteran Leonard Floyd at the end of 2022. That set the stage for the 2023 and 2024 NFL Drafts and the total rebuild of the Rams' pass rush with talented rookies.
It was Michael Hoecht, the re-trained former defensive tackle, who suddenly found himself thrust into a mentor role for the new and young arrivals. Curiously enough, he was perfectly suited for that role.
In three seasons as an edge rusher, Hoecht averaged 4.5 quarterback sacks and over 58 tackles per season. He allowed 37 of 46 passes to find their mark, surrendering 382 receiving yards and one touchdown. But to be fair, the Rams defense put Hoecht into a tough situation, as he was targeted far more often than any other outside linebacker over that time. And he suited up for just over 2000 snaps over that three-season span.
Hoecht was more than a guy who the young players looked up to in the locker room. He is the poster child of the Rams 'we not me,' mindset. He retrained to a new position at the risk of struggling, simply because the team needed him to do so. The irony is that he actually became a dependable edge rusher. And he could fill in the gaps for the team's depth chart that buoyed the Rams long enough to add OLB Jared Verse to complete the defense in 2024.
He was also a staple of the team's special teams.
Rams reasons for Hoecht's parting make sense, in hindsight
Why did the Rams allow Michael Hoecht to sign elsewhere? Part of the problem falls back on the team's budget. With so much of the Rams' payroll directed to the offensive side of the football, the team has to be particularly wary of spending too much on the defensive side of the football. With limited funds, the team may not have had sufficient money to make a competitive offer to retain Hoecht.
Of course, it simply could be that the team was ready to move on from Michael Hoecht. After all, he is schedule to serve a six-game suspension this season for violati9ng the league's controlled substance policy. That did not discourage the Buffalo Bills, who added Hoecht to a growing list of former Rams pass rushers that include Von Miller and Leonard Floyd.
Von Miller signed a huge contract to play for the Bills, but he never delivered. Leonard Floyd signed a one-year prove-it deal with the Bills. While he seemed to prove it, he was not extended. And now, the Bills add Michael Hoecht, who is already slated to miss the first six games of the season. Unless he starts and has a superb season, it's hard to envision Hoecht delivering in 2025 either.
But the Rams defense is under new management. With the promotion of Defensive Coordinator Chris Shula, the defense is evolving into a fierce band of hornets that win by swarming offensive ball carriers. This is a defense that generated 16 quarterback sacks in just two playoff games.
The Rams lost DT Neville Gallimore (2.5 quarterback sacks) and Michael Hoecht (0.5 quarterback sacks from that superb postseason performance to free agency. While the team is counting on a combination of NT Poona Ford and DT Ty Hamilton to pick up the slack caused by Neville Gallimore's vacated spot on the roster, who will show up to claim Michael Hoecht's vacancy?
I suspect Michigan rookie OLB Josaiah Stewart will stake his claim to playing time pretty quickly in the 2025 Rams training camp. Here's why:
Stewart will fill Hoecht's shoes, and more
Michael Hoecht stood 6-foot-4, slimmed down to 267 pounds (from his DT weight of 311 pounds) and ran a 4.65-second 40-yard dash day. Rookie OLB Josaiah Stewart stands 6-foot-1, weighs 249 pounds, and is rumored to have run a 40-yard dash in 4.85 seconds during a private workout for NFL teams.
Along with Johnson, Michigan edge rusher Josaiah Stewart also worked out for NFL teams today.
— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) April 14, 2025
4.85 40-yard dash (no jumps or shuttles).
So he is not as tall, heavy, or fast as Hoecht. So why did the Rams focus on Stewart in the 2025 NFL Draft, selecting him with the 90th overall pick in Round 3?
While Stewart will need to armor up with more muscle to be a true NFL starter, capable of enduring the physical demands of his edge rusher role in the NFL, he brings an energetic bit of chaos to the position. He is a powerful edge rusher, who wins at the point of attack quite often by outhustling his opponent.
It's that hustle that often leads to dominance at the edge, becoming a factor in game outcomes because he wears down his blocker:
Josaiah Stewart, @RamsNFL LB - The 3rd round rookie posted a 27.7% Pass Rush Win rate in 2024 during his final season at Michigan (Per PFF). #Rams #RamsHouse #LosAngeles #NFLDraft #NFL #nfldraft25 #NFLDraft2025 pic.twitter.com/7ROyXBycWm
— Pro Football Hall of Fame Ambassador (@PFHOFAmbassador) May 6, 2025
But hustle is only one part of Stewart's arsenal.
Where he brings more to the table than Hoecht is his well-rounded skill set. He not only hustles to get after the quarterback, but that same intensity is used to sniff out screens, sweeps, and draw plays. And once he sees the play, he blows it up like a heat-seeking missile.
One of the greatest detractors facing Michael Hoecht was struggling in pass coverage. After all, he was only tasked in that role in the past 2.5 seasons. Stewart has already developed solid coverage skills. Keep in mind that he practiced against Michigan TE Colston Loveland, one of the best rookie tight ends in many years. Because he practiced against elite talent, he brings that powerful pass-coverage prowess to the NFL.
Projected as the 14th-ranked edge rusher in the 2025 NFL Draft, Stewart's draft profile projected him as an NFL plus-starter. And that seems fair, as his 6.30 draft grade exceeds Rams OLB Byron Young (6.25), Nick Hamption (6.00), and Brennan Jackson (6.15). He only trails Rams DROY Jared Verse in terms of draft projections (6.73)
Josaiah Stewart
Stewart was projected as an early Day 2 selection who fell to the Rams late in Round 3.
Just like Michael Hoecht, Stewart was a defensive tackle who cross-trained to an edge rusher. Unlike Hoecht, Stewart made the jump in his second college season. When Rams GM Les Snead cited loving players who can 'play Frogger at a faster pace,' he was discussing Josaiah Stewart. Stewart made the jump from two seasons at Coastal Carolina to play two seasons at Michigan for the Wolverines. Despite the jump to a higher level of football competition, Stewart continue to generate high production off the edge.
Stewart was a favorite selection in many NFL mock drafts, often selected in Round 2. He was so popular because he brings tremendous pressure off the edge, can set the edge and turn plays inward, and has solid coverage skills. Hoecht struggled in pass coverage.
Did the Rams overshoot the mark at drafting Michael Hoecht's replacement? Perhaps. We will need to wait and see whether Josaiah Stewart can do it all as well as he did in NCAA football. One thing is certain. He certainly looks like a guy who can fill Hoecht's shoes, and then some.
As always, thanks for reading.
