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Michigan edge Josaiah Stewart goes to Los Angeles Rams in the NFL Draft's third round

Chris Balasby:Chris Balas•04/25/25•

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Michigan Wolverines football EDGE Josaiah Stewart was a key addition for the Wolverines. (Photo by Lon Horwedel / TheWolverine.com)
Michigan Wolverines football EDGE Josaiah Stewart was a key addition for the Wolverines. (Photo by Lon Horwedel / TheWolverine.com)

Michigan edge Josaiah Stewart was sometimes overlooked because of his size, not prototypical of a high major defensive end. At Michigan, he proved not only could he play in the Big Ten, but also that he could excel, taking his game to another level after transferring from Coastal Carolina.

Now … he’ll get his chance to prove himself against the best of the best. The Los Angeles Rams drafted Stewart in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft, No. 90 overall.

Stewart earned second-team All-Big Ten honors last year, starting 11 games as a senior and finishing the season with 33 tackles. He led the team with 13 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks and two forced fumbles and finished his collegiate career with 150 tackles, 48 tackles for a loss, 30 sacks, and six forced fumbles.

NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah saw a lot to like on film, sharing it with reporters on a teleconference several weeks ago.

“A bolt of lightning off the edge,” Jeremiah said. “He’s undersized, but if you don’t look at the size on your paper and just watch the tape, he doesn’t play small at all. He can really generate power as a rusher, and he’s someone who plays with just maniacal effort and energy.”

And Stewart took extreme pride in it. The play of his career, in fact, showed exactly who he is and how much power he has packed into his 6-1, 250-pound frame. He threw an Alabama offensive tackle about 100 pounds heavier than him into quarterback Jalen Milroe in a Rose Bowl semifinal to end the game, giving the Wolverines a program victory.

Stewart also had a sack earlier in the game never seemed to take a play off in his two-year Michigan career.

“I’m explosive and fast off the edge. I definitely have some power in my game … some hidden power,” Stewart told TheDraftNetwork.com during Senior Bowl workouts. “I have explosiveness when converting speed to power. I know how to find the ball. I elevate the guys around me and help them make plays as well. I’m going to pump my teammates up and vice versa. I want us all to feel that energy.

“I was looking forward to putting that progress on tape ever since I entered the portal. My first year at Michigan, I wasn’t initially a starter. I was rotating in with a bunch of other guys. In 2024, it was my year to step up and seize that role. I took my opportunity by the horns and ran with it.”

Now he’ll get his chance to do it in the NFL. His teammates predicted several weeks ago he’d do well there, too.

“He plays with fire under him,” former Michigan tight end Colston Loveland, the No. 10 overall pick (Chicago Bears), said at Michigan Pro Day. “He’s going to be a great player in the league.”

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