The reigning MVP and the reigning Defensive Player of the Year are now on the same roster, and analysts are already warning that the Los Angeles Rams may have created a defensive nightmare that the rest of the NFL cannot solve. They haven’t played a game yet, but the assumption is this is the Super Bowlwinning Los Angeles Rams. According to one analyst, the warning that changes everything is simple: “They can’t block him” in reference to Miles Garrett, who arrives in Los Angeles after recording 23 sacks last season for the Cleveland Browns. The Rams already had a top-10 pass rush, finishing last season with 12 sacks from Byron Young and seven from Kobe Turner, an interior lineman who has produced seven-plus sacks in three straight seasons.
Adding Garrett means offensive lines now face the impossible choice: double-team him and leave somebody else free, or block him one-on-one and risk the game being over. That dynamic, analysts argue, is what makes this defense elite rather than merely good. The Rams didn’t stop with Garrett, however
They identified their biggest late-game weakness from last season—the secondary—and addressed it directly by acquiring Trent McDuffie, one of the most versatile corners in football, who can play inside, outside, and lock down a number-one receiver
They also brought in Jaylen Watson, McDuffie’s former running mate from Kansas City, a long-ranging corner who thrives in man coverage
Now, with Garrett applying pressure up front and McDuFFie and Watson securing the back end, quarterbacks have nowhere to go, and the Rams’ playoff defense looks fundamentally different from the unit that faded late in games last season
Still, not everyone is fully convinced
One analyst ranked the Rams’ defense only number five in the league, a placement that drew immediate pushback given the star power now on that side of the ball
The analyst defended the ranking by pointing to situational football, run defense, and the ability to take the football away as key criteria, but acknowledged that Garrett’s ability to affect the quarterback is a massive addition to that unit
While the defense was being rebuilt, the Rams were also addressing a quieter but equally critical concern: the workload placed on Puka Nacua
Nacua, the former 177th overall pick in 2023, emerged as one of football’s most dangerous weapons last season, leading the NFL in receiving with more than 107 yards per game
But his all-around playing style—he blocks, runs out of the backfield, motions constantly, and never takes a play off—has raised concerns about wear and tear
Rams coach Sean McVay has reportedly taken notice, and the team is exploring ways to reduce Nacua’s snap count while keeping him just as productive
That plan includes heavier use of 12-and-13 personnel formations—bigger lineups that allow the offense to run the ball effectively without relying on Nacua to carry every possession
The urgency to protect Nacua is tied directly to the brutality of the NFC West, which analysts describe less as a finesse division and more as a slugfest
The Rams face the San Francisco 49ers twice, anda rivalry with the Seattle Seahawks has become personal after Seattle took the NFC West title and ended Los Angeles’s championship run last season
Every game in this division is physical, every possession carries a cost, anda team’s depth in January depends on how much punishment its stars absorbed in September
The Rams have the pieces: Stafford under center, Nacua as the engine of the offense, Garrett headlining a revamped defense, anda secondary that can no longer be exploited late in games
But analysts caution that none of this has been proven yet
The Rams may have built a Super Bowl monster on paper, but monsters don’t win championships on paper
They have to survive the war that is the NFC West first, and that physical toll will determine whether all these additions amount to a championship or a collapse
