New York Giants Draft Prospect: Jared Verse, EDGE

Nick takes a look at another potential edge-rushing talent in this year's draft class.

Jared Verse, EDGE

Height: 6’4
Weight: 260 lbs.
Class: RS- Junior
School: Florida State
Statistics

Jared Verse made his presence felt in his two seasons at Florida State. He amassed 60 pressures in 2023 and 36 in 2022. He finished this past season with 18 in two games (8 against Florida and 10 against Louisville in the Conference Championship). Before arriving in Tallahassee, Verse was a star of the Albany Great Danes.

Verse earned two consecutive first-team All-American selections at Florida State. He was the CAA Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2020 at Albany and was first-team All-CAA in 2021.

Verse had a unique path to Florida State. He grew up in Berwick, PA, where he played tight end and defensive end at Central Columbia High School. He was very undersized and received no FBS scholarships coming out of high school.

Verse reportedly gained 40 pounds ahead of the 2020 season before Albany canceled their fall sports due to COVID-19. He played the next season at Albany and transferred. His transformation made him one of the more sought-after transfer prospects in the portal after the 2021 season. 

He was a four-star recruit, the second EDGE rusher in the portal, and the 21st overall player. also added seven extra pounds ahead of the 2023 season. Verse will hear his name called early on day one of the 2024 NFL Draft.

Strengths

• Well put together build, good thickness
• Excellent athlete with exceptional burst, agility, and COD
• Very quick first few steps - amazing first step
• Elite pursuit speed
• His low center of gravity is maintained through his first few steps
• Does a magnificent job disguising his intentions on his first few steps
• Routinely punished over-eager/indecisive OL who commit too early
• Cinderblock hands - very heavy and powerful
• Hands are heavy and fast - call them Brandon Jacobs!
• Some of the heavier hands I’ve studied from an EDGE
• Strength + base provided an elusive target for OL to square/punch
• Does an elite job protecting his chest - explodes low to high with minimal surface area for OT to grasp, especially combined with his quickness
• Can and will win with speed or power as a pass rusher
• Engage bull-rush instantaneously - timing to strike when OT commits to high-side rush
• Unique speed to power threat
• Defeated three blockers to help sack QB
• Vs. Florida Q1 1:15
• Vs. Duke Q2 10:21
• Sells high side rush well with first few steps
• Gets horizontal through double teams
• Insane hits on the QB
• Has explosiveness and bend to win high-side
• Has elite play strength to run right through OT with bull rush
• An array of pass-rushing moves include impressive and violent chop to win around the edge - a very swift arm over - flat-out fun power rush moves
• Ran through multiple OL as if it was me blocking them - defeated multiple triple teams for significant pressure and/or sacks
• Capable run defender who did a solid job avoiding contact and making plays around the blocker
• Used his extension well at the point of attack with a solid ability to quickly shed
• Serious overall pop on contact
• Quickness and penetration ability will lead him to double-digit TFLs
• Elite competitive toughness
• Effort for days, never gives up

Weaknesses

• Arms seem to be on the shorter side
• Play strength vs. Double teams to the play side
• Q3 7:35 Florida
• Q2 6:45; Q3 7:50 Syracuse
• Seemed to freelance on the play side of power/counter
• Indecisive on when/how to spill/box/squeeze power/counter
• May have been a product of the exotic system
• The system and his upfield burst ran him out of some run responsibilities
• Will turn 24 during his rookie season - older than Kayvon Thibodeaux

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Summary

Violence, violence, and more violence. Jared Verse inspired Miley Cyrus because he comes in like a wrecking ball. The Florida State EDGE combines an elite ability to convert speed to power with some of the heavier hands I’ve seen from an EDGE rusher while possessing enough bend to win with speed around the edge and enough power to run through quality opponents.

Verse does a great job timing his pass-rushing reps to attack OL when they’re least ready; he does this by shrewdly disguising his path up the arc with elite micromovements to confuse. He strikes with power when OL commits to speed or engages his speed/bend around the edge when the OL sits to absorb a power move.

The defense he played in tasked him to slant/exchange gaps often. He’s a capable run defender who did seem spontaneous against power/gap and counter concepts on the EDGE. His physical nature - and the defense he played in at FSU - give me little reason to doubt his ability to squeeze/wrong arm/or spill as a run defender when necessary.

Verse has a very high floor as a prospect but does have a ceiling despite being an older player. He has double-digit sack upside. The jolt he provides on contact due to his hands/explosive nature will be an asset for him in his first year. He’s a day-one starter that will make a fan base very happy.

GRADE: 7.12

Nick Falato

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