The Los Angeles Rams lost one of the best defensive players in the game when Aaron Donald walked away.
Fortunately for them, they didn’t need that much time finding another superstar on that side of the field.
Taking Jared Verse in the first round out of Florida State was a game-changing decision for this organization, and it didn’t take long before he proved to be special.
That’s why Dalton Wasserman of PFF believes he’s just one minor tweak away from being historically great.
In the latest edition of PFF’s podcast, Wasserman talked about Verse’s high potential.
“The only other edge defender in football who had an 80+ grade in run defense and in the pass rush was T.J. Watt. 89 pressures were the second-most we’ve ever recorded by a rookie edge defender, only behind Nick Bosa in 2019. [Jared Verse] didn’t have just a good rookie year, he had a historic rookie year. He’s already one of probably the top-10 edge defenders in football. The fact that he’s that good in run defense as well is just incredible, considering how young he is. He was a top-10 edge defender last year, and he led the league in missed tackles. The second he fixes that part, there’s no ceiling on him,” Wasserman said.
The sky is the limit for Jared Verse 📈 pic.twitter.com/T415vk1EpT
— PFF (@PFF) August 30, 2025
Despite his issues with missed tackles, the No. 19 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft still dominated with 66 total tackles, 4.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries, running away with Defensive Rookie of the Year honors.
Just like Wasserman said, perhaps the most impressive part about his game is that he was able to shut down the running game with the same prowess that he did against the pass.
He has outstanding instincts and footwork, and he’s got some elite counter moves to gain an edge and beat his opposition with ease.
Of course, he still has some hurdles to clear to reach the elite status of players like Myles Garrett, Maxx Crosby, or T.J. Watt.
But if his rookie season is an indication of what’s to come, the Rams may have found themselves not only a superstar in the making, but also another Hall of Famer.
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