Jared Verse Already One of NFL's Best

The Los Angeles Rams secured a talented defensive lineman in last year's draft, when they selected edge rusher Jared Verse. Dalton Wasserman of Pro Football Network believes Verse could become the best at his position in the league.

"Reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year Jared Verse is poised to build on his outstanding2024 season. His 89 pressures, including the postseason, led the NFL. He was also one of just two qualified edge defenders — along with T.J. Watt — to earn at least an 80.0 grade in both run defense and pass rushing," Wasserman said.

Still, Verse has room for improvement as he missed over 20 tackles this past season. Missed tackles will be an area of emphasis for Verse in the future.

"The only blemish on his resume was a league-high 21 missed tackles. The biggest challenge to Verse climbing to the top of the edge defender rankings isn’t talent — it’s the depth of elite competition at the position," Wasserman said.

"Myles Garrett, T.J. Watt, Aidan Hutchinson, Micah Parsons and Nick Bosa all remain perennial contenders, with several other dynamic players also in the mix. Verse is the youngest among that next wave, but the numbers suggest he may be the closest to joining the NFL’s top tier.

Keith Sancez of the Draft Network analyzed Verse when he came out of college. Verse's rookie season was proved many of the pre-draft assessment of him correct. As he undoubtedly turned out to be one of the best picks of his draft class and one of the best pass rushers in the entire league.

"Rushing the passer, Verse showcases a detailed and versatile pass-rush plan, executing multiple initial and counter moves. Verse uses his quick first step to dictate the pace of the pass rush and then does a good job deciding to continue to win around the arc or use his lateral agility to redirect for an inside counter move," Sanchez said.

"When Verse enters into combat with the offensive lineman, he shows a wide array of moves combined with strong violent hands. He can properly execute a cross-chop, rip move, spin move, speed-to-power bull rush, or a long-arm to collapse the pocket. While Verse can properly execute all of these moves, it appears that his go-to and most difficult move to stop is his speed rush along the arc—he showcases great bend around the arc and the ability to get under offensive linemen and tighten his angle toward the quarterback for the sack."

The Rams got exactly what they thought they would when they drafted Verse. They hope he continues on a similar trajectory moving forward.

"While Verse appears to have all of the physical tools to be a natural pass rusher, there is some room for improvement in how he plays against the run. When Verse is aligned on the outside shade of the offensive tackle he does a good job of keeping outside leverage, but there are instances where he gets upfield and runs himself out of the play creating a running lane. Verse will also attempt to defeat blocks by evading defenders, but this results in the loss of gap integrity. Overall, Verse flashes potential to be a dominant pass rusher on the next level," Sanchez said.

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