In the 2024 NFL Draft, the Los Angeles Rams used their first two picks on a pair of defensive linemen in Jared Verse, who was selected 19th overall, and Braden Fiske, who was taken 39th. Coincidentally, both played at Florida State and had built quite the relationship during their lone season together with the Seminoles.
That would carry on to Los Angeles as both Verse and Fiske made immediate impacts for the Rams with Verse being named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and Fiske finishing third. But the two are more than just teammates as they have truly built a different level of chemistry.
In a recent interview with Dan Pompei of The Athletic, Fiske spoke on the person Verse is overall and wishing people could really see more of that side of him:
“I wish more people could see how caring, giving and respectful he is with everybody, the way he uplifts people, brings energy to a room and changes the entire environment wherever he’s at,” Fiske says.
The two have spent so much time together and Fiske really knows Verse as more than just a football player. They are not just great players, but have great character as well which is important to the Rams.
The chances of them being drafted by the same team weren’t great, but it has happened and the two continue to push each other. And even had they not wound up on the Rams together, Verse felt he and Fiske would always wind up back together at some point because their chemistry is unmatched:
“There are certain people that you know are meant to be in your life for a very long time, people you need to keep in your life,” Verse says. “Even if we had been drafted by different teams, I knew at one point we would have gotten back together because the chemistry and vibe we have is something you can’t replicate.”
Fiske and Verse are a major piece of this Rams defensive line that is one of the best young defensive units in the NFL. The Rams absolutely hit on these draft picks and have allowed for their chemistry to continue to grow, which has only benefitted this team as a whole.
Poona Ford says being on the Rams feels like a ‘real family’
Another big piece of this Rams defensive line is defensive tackle Poona Ford whom the team signed in free agency this offseason. And Ford is already loving the familial environment inside the Rams locker room.
