I expect Shula to be better in his sophomore year for sure and I look forward to seeing that on the field.
But in addition to Shula's anticipated improvement the Rams also have add pieces to use against the run, including ...
Poona Ford, NT, FA from the Chargers: Third best interior defensive lineman against the run in 2024 according to PFF with an 80.3 run defense grade, the 5th highest graded interior defensive lineman overall with an 85.3 grade. (The 4 guys ahead of him were all Pro Bowlers: Chris Jones, Cameron Heyward, Dexter Larence, and Leonard Williams.) He missed three tackles in 2025 and had a average depth of tackle of only 1.8 yards.
Nate Landman, ILB, FA from the Falcons: in 2023 PFF gave him an 85.4 grade against the run, ranking 9th out of 179, was third in run stops with 46, and had the second-best run-stop rate in the NFL with 12.6% (behind Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah).191 tackles combined in ’23 & 24 including 6 forced fumbles and 18 stuffs.
Josaiah Stewart, Edge, 3rd round pick: Yes, he is a pass rush demon, but his run defense is rated almost as high as his pass rush (90% vs 95%). [
www.nfldraftbuzz.com]
Ty Hamiton, DT, 5th round pick: 35 reps at 225 at his pro day, 2 more than anyone at the combine. He received a 79% grade on tackling and a 76% grade on run defense. [
www.nfldraftbuzz.com]
Chris Paul, ILB, 5th round pick. PFF has him as the 15th best LB against the run in 2024. A finalist for the Butkus award, he led Ole Miss with 88 total tackles, including 11 for loss. He missed only 4% of his tackle attempts last season, earning him a 90% grade in tackling along with an 88% grade in run defense. [
www.nfldraftbuzz.com]
Shaun Dolac, ILB, UDFA. Dolac led the country with 168 total tackles, a single-season record at Buffalo, in 2024. That earned him Group of Five All-American and MAC Defensive Player of the Year accolades. In 2022, Dolac was first in the MAC and second in the FBS with 147 tackles. He set a then-program record with 97 solo tackles, which was first in the country. He had a missed tackle rate of just 5% in 2024 and just 7.5% for his entire career. Last year, he ranked first in the country with 76 defensive stops which were constituted as failures for the offense. [H]is five interceptions ... led all FBS linebackers in 2024. [
herosports.com]
AlbaNY_Ram
