The Los Angeles Rams are sitting on one of the deepest defensive tackle rooms in the NFL for 2026, even without Aaron Donald on the roster. This defensive front is absolutely loaded, and the battle for the final spots is going to be brutal, especially with a talent like Kobie Turner leading the charge. This dude has already developed into one of football’s premier interior pass rushers, it’s wild.
The Monster Making Moves Up Front
Kobie Turner is a force, plain and simple. In just three pro seasons, he’s been a consistent menace inside. The guy has put up steady production numbers and is super durable, seeing action in all 51 regular season games plus every playoff matchup. Pro Football Focus just ranked him as the 59th best player in the entire NFL and the fourth best defensive tackle. Get this: his 69 pressures in 2025 were the second-best in the entire league! Turner might not have that prototypical mass or long arms, but he’s stout and powerful. He doesn’t let blockers latch on, eluding them with insane nimble footwork, short area agility, and quick changes of direction. He plays with low pads, a motor that never quits, and follows the ball in pursuit like a hawk. Plus, he’s a good tackler, rocks very good hand fighting skills, has a ton of pass rush moves, and explodes on stunts, loops, and twists. And don’t sleep on Poona Ford, who absolutely transformed the Rams’ run defense, or Braden Fiske looking to rebound. Tyler Davis also earned a bigger role last season, showing just how much talent is stacked here.
Chris Shula’s Scheme Demands Versatility
Part of what makes this room so intense is how defensive line coach Giff Smith and defensive coordinator Chris Shula deploy their front. They’re not sticking players in fixed roles. Nope, Los Angeles asks its interior defenders to move all over the formation, building one of the NFL’s most versatile defensive line rotations. Forget those old days of 5-2 base and high shell coverages. According to Sharp Football Analysis, L.A. rolled with sub defensive packages at a 75 percent clip last year. Their defensive front was expected to bring the pass rush heat without needing a ton of blitz calls, clocking in at 18 percent, which was the second fewest in the NFL. These guys also had to hold their ground against the run, with Shula using light boxes 56 percent of the time to bait opponents into running the ball. What’s wild is that six of the seven snap recipients from last year are back, with only Jack Heflin, who had eight reps, moving on. This room is a brick wall for any newcomers trying to break in.
The fight for those final two roster spots is going to be intense. With talent like Turner, Ford, Fiske, and Davis, every practice rep matters. Get ready for some serious competition to make that 53-man roster as 2026 gets rolling.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Turf Show Times.
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