It’s hard to imagine a defense getting better after losing Aaron Donald, but there’s a good chance the Los Angeles Rams actually improve in 2024. That’s the stance Andrew Whitworth is taking, particularly after seeing Jared Verse and Braden Fiske live in practice.
He expects the defense as a whole to be better than it was last season thanks to the additions Los Angeles made this offseason. And when it comes to Verse and Fiske, he has extremely high hopes for both of them.
“Defensively, I love some of these young players they’ve got,” Whitworth said on “Up and Adams”. “Watching them – I’ve been to a couple of their scrimmages with the Cowboys and Chargers – you know what, Jared Verse is the real deal. I can’t wait to see him get on the field and play an NFL game. Braden Fiske looks like somebody who’s going to be a special player for them inside. Yes, they’re never going to replace Aaron Donald, but a great place to start is with two real talented rookies who can get after the quarterback, especially after the year Byron Young had last year, and Kobie Turner. I think they’re starting to put together a really good front five. I look to this defense to be a hair better than last year.”
One thing that really stood out to Whitworth when watching Verse is his confidence. He called the rookie a “trash-talking machine,” loving the passion he plays with on the field.
“I mean, he does not stop and he’s relentless with it but he backs it up, as well,” Whitworth continued. “The first time we see this guy hit somebody with one of his bull rushes, they’re going to know this dude’s for real.”
Verse and Fiske are two valuable building blocks up front for the Rams, along with Turner and Young. If all four players step up the way the coaching staff expects them to, Los Angeles could be dangerous in 2024.