Draft Grade: Evaluating the Rams Selecting Florida State DE Jared Verse 19th Overall

Eva Geitheim | Apr 25, 2024

Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

With the 19th overall pick, the Los Angeles Rams have drafted Florida State defensive end Jared Verse. This is the Rams' first first-round pick in the Sean McVay era, and the team's first time selecting in the first round since they took Jared Goff No. 1 overall out of Cal in 2016.

How did McVay, general manager Les Snead, and the Rams do picking in the first round for the first time in 2016? Here's the draft grade.

Grade: B+

The Rams made a strong choice in Verse, who will address a team need as one of the best remaining players on the board. By getting one of the best players available and a team need, the Rams earn a good B+ grade for this pick. It was expected that the Rams could go defensive line or defensive tackle, especially after Aaron Donald retired, and they did just that.

In Verse, the Rams get a defensive end who had a knack for accruing both sacks and tackles for loss during his time with the Seminoles and the Albany Great Danes before he transferred to FSU. Verse had between 9-9.5 sacks in each of his last three seasons of college. He also had at least 11.5 tackles for loss during each of these three years, including a career-high 17 in 2022. Overall in his career, Verse finished with 164 total tackles, 38.5 tackles for loss, 31.5 sacks, three pass breakups, three forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries.

Verse will give the Rams' defensive line a young foundation as he joins second-year defensive tackle Kobie Turner, who finished as a Defensive Rookie of the Year finalist. Verse and Turner should form a force for Los Angeles along the defensive line, and help the team continue to get pressure on opposing quarterbacks even without Donald on the team.