Inside The Vikings

Vikings Take FSU Edge Rusher Jared Verse in Bucky Brooks' Mock Draft

Verse has a remarkable combination of athleticism and power.

Will Ragatz

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The Vikings haven't drafted an edge rusher in the first round (or even the second round, for that matter) since 2005, but this might be the year that changes. Danielle Hunter, D.J. Wonnum, and Marcus Davenport are all free agents, leaving the cupboard pretty bare at one of football's premium positions. If the Vikings don't elect to take a quarterback in the first round, they'll likely look to the defensive side of the ball, and edge rusher is up there with cornerback and d-tackle as one of the spots that could make a lot of sense.

In the first mock draft of the year from NFL.com's Bucky Brooks, Minnesota uses the 11th overall pick on Florida State edge rusher Jared Verse.

Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

Adding an athletic pass rusher to the lineup will enhance the Vikings’ aggressive schemes under Brian Flores. The Florida State standout flashes double-digit potential as a sack artist. 

The first three picks in this mock were all quarterbacks, and a defensive player wasn't taken until eighth overall. The Falcons and Bears selected Alabama's Dallas Turner and UCLA's Laiatu Latu at 8 and 9, leaving the Vikings to take Verse as the final member of the consensus top three in this year's EDGE group. They chose him over any of the corners or DTs.

Five Stud Defensive Players the Vikings Could Draft With the 11th Pick

Verse is an extremely exciting prospect. He was hardly recruited out of high school and began his career at Albany, transferring to FSU for the 2022 season. He burst onto the national scene that year with nine sacks and 17 total tackles for loss. Verse could've declared for last year's draft, but returned for one more year and was even more dominant. He matched his '22 total with nine more sacks, but upped his total pressures from 36 to 60 (via PFF). 18 of those pressures and 4.5 of his sacks came in the final two games of the season against Florida and Louisville (in the ACC title game).

At 6'4", 260, Verse possesses an impressive combination of athleticism and power. He's got burst, bend, and strong hands at the point of attack to defeat tackles. He's able to turn speed into power with a straight bull rush or use a number of moves to get to the quarterback. Not only does Verse have a very high ceiling, he's 23 years old and polished enough to step right into a starting role in the NFL next season.

The Vikings could use a guy like that.

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