Rams Defensive Line Aims For Record-Setting Season

The NFL loves dominant defensive lines. The Fearsome Foursome, The New York Sack Exchange if not the endless nicknames for historic defenses, all build on the dominance of their men in the trenches.

The 2025 Los Angeles Rams have two converging factors that have them in position to strike fear into the heart of the NFL. Youthful optimism and youthful confidence. The Rams' defensive line truly believes they can take on the world and win.

The level of attention they have put towards this season has been impressive but it's the chemistry each man had with one another and how it blends on the football field, sets up one of the most intriguing narratives of this young season.

Jared Verse made things clear back at OTAs, the Rams would be debuting a much more refined pass-rushing product built on each player's ability to attack with one another in ways that amplify each other's strengths. Well, the architect of their attack, Chris Shula has been showing snippets of how his defensive line attacks together during preseason. He spoke about his defensive line on Wednesday.

The Architect

Jul 31, 2024; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula speaks to the media after training camp at Loyola Marymount University. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

“Those guys rush as a unit," stated Shula. "We talk about it. You're not rushing as four isolated, just guys trying to beat your guy. When you're in a four-man rush, there are certain guys that are going to have to tough down. There are certain guys that are going to have the opportunity to go win. Those guys understand when it's their opportunity that it's their turn to win and if they have the tough down, they might have to be the guy that kind of secures the QB in the pocket, different things like that. I think it's just a real unselfish group. All four of them or whoever's really in there. They just like to play off each other and celebrate each other's success.”

Shula has been working like a madman to design his defense to do one simple thing, afflict pressure at key points of the offense. Shula bends but doesn't break. He has a defense that takes calculated risks but won't allow offenses to take the top off.

Why? Because he knows he has the linebackers to stop the run, the rotation to keep players fresh, and the four rushers he needs to bring quarterbacks down. According to Byron Young, Shula has been in the lab, designing plays for specific players, and from what I've seen, this unit emulates the speed and power of those early 2000s Indianapolis Colts defense and the Rams have the hitting power in the secondary behind the defense line to emulate Bob Sanders impact on the Colts.

“I would say the difference is having designed plays for certain players and knowing that type of player for that play," stated Young. "At the beginning, I'd say it was more of him trying to feel it out. But then he kind of leaned towards, ‘okay this player right here is good for this play and this is how he plays’. So, he tries to do that for the sake of the defense. He’s definitely trying to design certain plays for certain players that could take advantage of that [opportunity].”

The defensive line wants to hit and they have been working relentlessly to bring Shula's vision to life. It's hunting season come week one.

Ensure you follow on X (Twitter) @RamsInsideronSI and @BrockVierra.

Please let us know your thoughts when you like our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE