The Los Angeles Rams used a first-round pick for the first time since drafting Jared Goff when they took Florida State linebacker Jared Verse with the No. 19 overall pick. They followed that up by taking his college teammate, defensive tackle Braden Fiske, in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
With the retirement of Aaron Donald, Verse and Fiske were seen as the start of a new era for the Rams defense. And while injuries have absolutely plagued the Rams’ early chances of competing in 2024, there is plenty of reason for positivity with the Rams’ new defensive youngsters.
Through three weeks, Fiske and Verse have been able to pressure the quarterback almost at will and it shows via the Next Gen Stats‘ rookie pressures leaders:
The Rams' top two picks in the 2024 NFL Draft rank first and second among rookies in pressures through the first three weeks of the season.
🥇 Braden Fiske, @RamsNFL (12)
🥈 Jared Verse, @RamsNFL (11)
🥉 Laiatu Latu, @Colts (10) pic.twitter.com/1d82ctgAWe— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) September 24, 2024
This is a hugely encouraging sign for the Rams that they were able to secure these two players with their first two picks in 2024. Fiske and Verse both had their issues in what was considered a lackluster defensive draft, but they appear to be making it worth the Rams’ draft choices.
Right now, the problem for the Rams appears to be converting these pressures into sacks. The Rams currently rank tied for third from the bottom in the NFL with only four sacks this season. They are tied with the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders and are ahead of only the Atlanta Falcons (3.0) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2.0).
Verse and Fiske have 23 combined pressures but have only gotten to the quarterback one total time, with Verse having that one under his belt. If the Rams want to make up for the endless injury list on the offensive side, their defense has to do some favors and turn pressures into losses of yardage.
But regardless, it’s encouraging to see Fiske and Verse have success winning at the line of scrimmage. With time, they’ll learn how to convert those into more game-changing opportunities.
Sean McVay proud of Rams
The Rams were on the brink of falling to 0-3 but completed an improbable comeback to defeat the San Francisco 49ers, 27-24, in their home opener at SoFi Stadium.
The Rams defense got a key stop to give the offense a chance to win in regulation. Helped by Xavier Smith’s 38-yard punt return, Matthew Stafford got the Rams into field goal range and rookie Joshua Karty connected from 37 yards to seal the victory for L.A.
“What a job by our group just continuing to battle [and] continuing to fight,” McVay said after the game. “There’s a lot of guts [and] there’s a lot of resilience in this group and it’s just one game. I’m really proud of them. I’m really proud of them for a lot of the things that went into it, guys that had to step up.”
