On Thursday night, the Los Angeles Rams made their first first-round pick since selecting Jared Goff No. 1 overall back in 2016. At No. 19 overall, Sean McVay and Les Snead added one of the top pass rushers in the 2024 class, selecting Jared Verse out of Florida State. While he's not Aaron Donald, Verse can absolutely wreak havoc off the edge.
Verse's path to the NFL has been anything but conventional. He began his collegiate career at Albany in 2019, but did not make his debut until 2021 because of COVID. He earned CAA Defensive Rookie of the Year honors after recording 10 tackles for a loss and four sacks for the Great Danes.
His transition to the ACC in 2022 proved to be seamless as the Pennsylvania native accumulated 17 tackles for a loss and 9 sacks for the Seminoles. In an encore performance, he tallied 12.5 tackles for a loss and 9 sacks as Florida State was destined for the playoffs until quarterback Jordan Travis suffered an injury.
Here is what the Rams are getting in Verse, including his scouting report, prospect ranking, pro comparison, combine results, college and high school accolades and overall NFL outlook.
NFL Draft grade: B+
"The Rams patiently wait and end up with one of the best pass rushers in this draft. This fills a major need and will help compensate for the loss of Aaron Donald on the inside." -- Pete Prisco
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Jared Verse NFL Draft prospect profile
- Age: 23
- Height: 6-foot-4
- Weight: 254 pounds
- Hand: 9 7/8"
Accolades
- 2022-23: 2-time first-team All-ACC
- 2022-23: Most pressures (98), T-most sacks (18.0) in ACC over this span
CBS prospect ranking
Position: No. 2 EDGE | Overall: No. 11 | Rating: 92.57 (All-Pro)
NFL comparison
NFL combine results
- 40-yard dash: 4.58 seconds
- Broad jump: 10-foot-7
- Vertical jump: 35"
Scouting report
Jared Verse is an Albany transfer who was unranked coming out of high school. He would've been a first-round pick after the 2022 season, but he returned to Florida State and will again be a first-round pick in 2024. He plays with heavy hands and is twitchy off the edge. When he is locked in, he is unblockable.
Strengths
- Stout at the point of attack
- Plays with heavy hands and has a quick get-off that consistently beats offensive tackles
Weaknesses
- Made huge stride in Year 1 at Florida State, but leveled off some in Year 2
- Very little to not love about his game
