Already boasting one of the best rosters in the league after free agency and the 2026 NFL Draft, the Los Angeles Rams went out and traded for reigning Defensive Player of the Year winner Myles Garrett.
The Rams’ defensive line went from good to great with the addition of the former Cleveland Brown, which might benefit other players in the room. While Garrett is garnering the attention of opposing offensive lines, this would allow the other D-linemen to get some free rein to go after the quarterback.
One NFL writer lists a member of the Rams defensive front as a hidden gem ahead of the 2026 season.
Rams Third-Year Defender Listed “Hidden Gem”
GettyRams defensive lineman has been named a hidden gem
According to Pro Football Focus, Myles Garrett was double-teamed for more than 50% of snaps last season. If this continues with Garrett now in Los Angeles, we can expect the other members on the defensive line to get some space in the pass rush.
FanSided’s Wynston Wilcox names Rams defensive lineman Braden Fiske as a “hidden gem” before the 2026 season.
“I am really high on Braden Fiske, as Rams fans should be. He’s on an upward trajectory and we all know how difficult it will be to live up to the potential of what Aaron Donald was as an interior defender,” Wilcox wrote. “His rookie season he had 8.5 sacks, and that total dropped to three last year.”
“That said, he has played every game of his NFL career so far and has recorded 74 total tackles. He’s going to be a player the Rams can rely on for quite some time, he just has hard shoes to fill in providing the interior presence Donald was.”
According to ESPN metrics, Fiske was tied for the 7th-highest pass rush win rate as a defensive tackle last season at 10%.
Opposite of Garrett will be Bryon Young, who logged 12 sacks and earned his first Pro Bowl nod last season. The EDGE rush duo, who combined to take down QBs 35 times in 2025, will get a lot of attention from offensive lines, leaving Fiske, who had snaps inside, with some one-on-ones.
This could allow Braden Fiske to return to his rookie form and be a major threat to opposing offensive fronts next season.
Braden Fiske on Entering Season 3
GettyByron Young #0 celebrates with Braden Fiske #55 of the Los Angeles Rams
With Matthew Stafford returning for another season and the team trading for Myles Garrett, the Los Angeles Rams are in win-now mode.
Braden Fiske has stated that he has been working hard this offseason to help the team make another run for the Lombardi trophy.
“We know what we are capable of and how we want to get after it this season… [We] are out there hunting, and we have a bunch of other guys that could get after the quarterback, too. I think that’s the ultimate goal,” Fiske said, via Sports Illustrated.
“We know what we’re capable of and what we should be doing out on that field. There’s nothing short of that this season and what we expect from ourselves… We are getting after this offseason and excited to see what we can build.”
Rams 11.5 Sack Defender Tabbed “Hidden Gem” Before 2026 Season