Jared Verse — NFL Mock Draft Roundup 1.0

The Bears pair Caleb Williams with Verse, who's the best power rusher in the draft. He'll be a great complement to Montez Sweat.

The Rams came into the season with little expectation as they found key veteran contributors replaced by rookies and journeymen. Yet Los Angeles found themselves in the playoffs, largely thanks to huge contributions from their 2023 draft class. On the defensive side of the ball alone rookie DT Kobie Turner actually led the team with 9 sacks and rookie EDGE rusher Byron Young tied perennial pro bowler Aaron Donald for second with 8 sacks.

Despite unearthing two future stars to feature along their defensive line in 2023, the Rams could look to further bolster their pass rush early in the 2024 draft, particularly at the EGDE spot. Michael Hoecht currently holds the starter spot opposite Young, but he will be a restricted free agent and the depth behind the starters is limited.

While LA could look to add a DB here, this class is deep in the secondary which allows the Rams to use their first pick on former Florida State EDGE rusher Jared Verse. With a lightning-quick first step, and non-stop motor Verse is a terror who can live in an opponent's backfield and isn't afraid to chase down a run on the opposite side of the field. He wasn't asked to drop back in coverage much in college, which could relegate him to a pass rush specialist role early, but he'll help ensure this Rams defensive line continues causing havoc.

Marcus Davenport and Danielle Hunter are projected to hit free agency. D.J. Wonnum is coming off an injury. If one or both Davenport and Hunter do not return, then Jared Verse is stepping into a starter's role.

The Cardinals need a young, high-caliber rusher on the perimeter, and that's precisely what Verse became after transferring to Florida State.

The Broncos could certainly use an elite pass rusher on defense, and Jared Verse would fill that need.

The quarterback situation will dominate draft talk, but the Saints must address the trenches (on both sides) this offseason. With his experience and traits, Verse is a plug-and-play pass rusher who fits the mold for what New Orleans likes to target in Round 1.

Jared Verse's game continues to evolve as he continues to mature. A transfer from Albany to Tallahassee, Verse doesn't tout a nuanced pass-rush repertoire or an electric get-off at this point in his eval, but his power and spring-loaded hands can throw grown men into the lap of a quarterback. He's a power-laden rusher with a developing game to win with speed and technicality.

The Indianapolis Colts drafting an edge defender in Round 1? Yes, this shouldn't shock anyone. What should shock you, however, is Jared Verse's skills off the edge.

Verse's production dipped a bit in 2023, but he played a new role within the Florida State defense, a team-first role that freed up pass-rushing lanes for his teammates. And yet, Verse's skills were apparent as he got after the quarterback with reckless abandon and dominated at the point of attack.

He's strong and fast, versatile and twitchy. Verse will take the Colts' defensive front up a notch immediately.

I anticipate the Vikings doing their due diligence on this class of quarterbacks (and potentially moving up in the draft) if they're unable to re-sign Kirk Cousins after this season, but sack artist Danielle Hunter will be one of the most sought after free agents this offseason, and GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah would be fortunate here if one of the top edge rushers in the draft were still available. Like Penn State's Fashanu, Verse would've likely been a first-round pick had he declared after last season. He produced nine sacks after transferring from Albany to Tallahassee for his sophomore season. The AP All-American followed that up with another nine sacks to help the Seminoles finish the regular season undefeated.

The Miami Dolphins lost their two best edge rushers to major injuries at the end of the year, and it's fair to wonder when Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb will return.

That's why the addition of Jared Verse makes too much sense. In his two seasons at Florida State, Verse totaled 29.5 tackles for a loss and 18 sacks. You can never have too many pass rushers, and getting him at No. 24 would be a steal for Miami.

The Broncos have some pieces on defense coming off the edge in Jonathon Cooper, Baron Browning and Nik Bonitto, but they need a bona fide game wrecker. That's what Verse has been for Florida State these past two seasons, with heavyweight hands and knock back power.

How much will scouts judge Verse's decent 2023 against his breakthrough 2022? The prized edge rusher opted to return to Florida State last spring despite the suggestion he'd be a first round pick. But his sack total was just 4.5 through 11 games before a furious finish gave him nine in 13 games to go with 12 tackles for loss.

Is that late surge enough to make him the top edge rusher in a good, not great class? And would the Bears address that side of the ball after adding Montez Sweat at the trade deadline? This is a pick that's a lot easier to predict if Nabers or Odunze are still on the board here — Chicago needs a running mate for DJ Moore — but without them, the team could default to the best available prospect at a premium position and look elsewhere for wideout help.

Coming into the 2023 season, many thought Verse might be the first defender off the board. A slow start cooled that talk, but he is back on the rise after a dominant second half: 6.5 of his nine sacks came during the final six games. He's a power rusher who relies heavily on speed-to-power moves and his heavy hands, and his 16.5% pressure rate was 10th in the country. The Tampa Bay interior is set with Vita Vea and Calijah Kancey, but the Bucs' most consistent rusher off the edge has been rookie YaYa Diaby. Let's boost that unit with Verse.

Assuming they sign a QB in free agency or acquire one via trade, the Falcons can go get a defender to help a unit that is league average in every pressure stat despite playing a very easy schedule.