The Los Angeles Rams enter the 2026 season with a defensive interior that is not just deep—it's fully stocked. All eight rotation players from last year are back, creating a crowded but competitive room. Yet, the Rams didn't stop there. After selecting Alabama's Tim Keenan in the seventh round of the NFL Draft, they also brought in three undrafted free agents: Payton Zdroik, Jalen Logan-Redding, and Jackson Moi.

Last season, the Rams leaned heavily on a six-man rotation along the defensive front. Only standout Kobie Turner played more than 50 percent of the snaps. Veterans Poona Ford, Braden Fiske, and Tyler Davis each logged between 40 and 50 percent, while 2025 rookie Ty Hamilton and veteran Larrell Murchison chipped in with just over 125 snaps apiece. It's a rotation that kept legs fresh and pressure constant—and now, there's even more competition for playing time.

So, can any of these undrafted additions crack a lineup that's already bursting with talent? Let's take a closer look at the newcomers, starting with the most intriguing of the bunch.

Payton Zdroik arrives after a productive five-year career at the Air Force Academy. After a redshirt season, he became a fixture on the Falcons' defensive line, starting 36 of 55 games. Over that span, he piled up 116 tackles—29 for loss—and 14 sacks. Those numbers jump off the page, but so do his measurables.

At 6'1" and around 290 pounds, Zdroik is considered undersized for an interior lineman. But what he lacks in length, he makes up for in athleticism. His Relative Athletic Score (RAS) is an eye-popping 9.26 out of 10. He blazed a 4.78 in the 40-yard dash with a 1.68 10-yard split, showing explosive first-step quickness. His 33-inch vertical and 9'7" broad jump highlight solid lower-body power, while a 7.40 three-cone drill and 4.50 shuttle prove he has the agility and change-of-direction skills that translate well to the NFL level. He also put up 31 reps on the bench press, demonstrating impressive upper-body strength for his frame.

On the flip side, his arms measure just 31⅛ inches and his hands are 8¾ inches—both below typical NFL standards for a defensive tackle. That lack of length could be a hurdle. But Zdroik plays with a natural low center of gravity and a squatty frame that helps him generate leverage. When you combine his explosive get-off, strong hands, and relentless motor, he flashes the ability to become a disruptive gap penetrator in the passing game. Against the run, he can get swallowed up by larger blockers, but he fights hard to shed and pursues with the kind of energy coaches love.

Zdroik has been on draft boards for three straight years but never cracked the Top 300. The question is whether his quickness and hair-on-fire playing style can overcome his size limitations. Think of him as a bowling ball with a mission—small, explosive, and tough to handle when he gets a head of steam. If he can find a niche in the Rams' rotation, he could be a rotational surprise worth watching.