It’s been a long time since the Los Angeles Rams had the opportunity to draft a player in the first round of the NFL Draft and develop them into a franchise cornerstone for years to come.
The Rams took Jared Verse with pick No. 19 in April’s draft and so far, his development has been nothing but promising as the former Florida State Seminole has impressed defensive coordinator Chris Shula.
“He’s gotten better every single day. You see exactly what you saw on tape at Florida State and you see him making the corrections where he needs to and understanding stuff,” said Shula.
Verse was a highly decorated edge rusher coming out of college with honors such as being a two-time NCAA All-American, ranking third in the ACC for sacks (9).
As he is coming into his first NFL season, Verse will not only be learning how to play in the NFL, but he will also be learning a different scheme as the Rams will be running a 3-4 defense this season.
“A guy coming from Florida State, a little bit of a different scheme whereas now, we go to a 3-4 [defense], [and] ask him to do a few different things. He’s really taken it as a professional. He’s gotten better every single day,” Shula added.
This past offseason, the Rams defense took a major toll as future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald announced his retirement from football at 32 years old. Donald has been one of the best pass rushers in the NFL over the last 10 seasons and will be a player the Rams will miss coming into this season.
As the Rams begin their first season with Verse rushing off the edge, he’s a player the team hopes will blossom into a young star.