After eight years, the Los Angeles Rams finally owned their own first-round pick and decided to select Florida State’s Jared Verse with the No. 19 overall pick.
For months, the Rams were projected to address their defensive line, an area that required more attention after Aaron Donald announced his retirement from the NFL. Despite some reports that Los Angeles was targeting an offensive player, they went with Verse who is considered to be one of the best pass rushers in the draft.
Head coach Sean McVay is well-known for his offensive brilliance, but also acknowledged he was going to be excited about adding a defensive player like Verse. After the pick was made official, McVay that the former Seminole was one of the players on the board that they felt great about taking, via Sarah Barshop of ESPN:
Sean McVay said Jared Verse was one of the guys the Rams "had targeted and feel really good coming away with."
"He’s going to make a big impact," McVay said.
McVay said Verse is going to play on the edge.
— Sarah Barshop (@sarahbarshop) April 26, 2024
As far as what Verse brings to the table, McVay outlined his physical traits and his pass rush arsenal. He also emphasized that Verse is the kind of player that fits his and the organization’s on-field vision:
"He's got great hands, he's violent, he's got a versatile arsenal of moves that he can activate, but he plays the game the way that we want it to be played," McVay said. "We're looking for grown men on defense."
— Sarah Barshop (@sarahbarshop) April 26, 2024
Los Angeles now has a young and talented defensive line featuring Kobie Turner, Byron Young and now Verse. Despite their youth and inexperience, the trio makes for a strong foundation for the defense and new defensive coordinator Chris Shula.
Aside from Verse, the Rams will have an opportunity to add more impactful players on Days 2 and 3 of the NFL Draft. It remains to be seen what direction Les Snead and McVay will go in, but kicking things off with Verse is a strong start.
Rams’ Kobie Turner motivated after not winning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year
Turner became one of the best players from Los Angeles’ 2023 draft haul as he led all rookies in sacks with 9.5 last season. Turner was a finalist for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year though lost out to the Houston Texans’ Will Anderson Jr.
The young defensive tackle didn’t seem deterred from losing the award, though he acknowledged he’s motivated to prove himself in 2024.
