The Los Angeles Rams have faced challenges in their 2024 season, but one bright spot has been the performance of rookie edge rusher Jared Verse. Selected with the 19th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Verse has already shown promise.
Verse was seen as a large part of the team’s efforts to rebuild their defensive line following Aaron Donald’s retirement.
Rams Rookie Among League’s Best
After two games he is already scoring among the league’s best in ESPN’s Pass Rush Win Rate. Verse has posted a PRWR of 29 percent, the ninth-best among the NFL’s edge rushers. That mark ties him with Maxx Crosby of the Las Vegas Raiders and is two points ahead of the Cleveland Browns’ Myles Garrett.
The top 10 is as follows:
- 1 Trey Hendrickson, CIN — 39%
- 2 Boye Mafe, SEA — 35%
- 3 Jonathon Cooper, — DEN 35%
- 4 Aidan Hutchinson, — DET 33%
- 5 Von Miller, BUF — 32%
- 6 Darrell Taylor, CHI — 31%
- 7 Will Anderson Jr., HOU — 31%
- 8 Maxx Crosby, LV — 29%
- 9 Jared Verse, LA — 29%
- 10 Myles Garrett, CLE — 27%
He has a better PRWR than Demarcus Lawrence, TJ Watt, Danielle Hunter, and Brian Burns.
What makes this even more impressive is that, much like Donald himself, Verse is double-teamed at a very high rate he sees an extra blocker on 25 percent of his pass rush snaps, fifth among the top 10 edge players.
Verse leads the Rams with nine pressures, which also leads all rookies. Fellow 2024 first rounder, Byron Murphy is next best with six.
Verse’s high mark points out the discrepancy in talent on the Rams roster when it comes to getting pressure on the quarterback. The team has two players in the top 10, Verse and Kobie Turner. But despite their high level, the team PRWR is 42 percent, good for 17th in the NFL.
Despite his early successes, Verse still isn’t able to match Donald’s PRWR. In his final season, he won on 35 percent of his snaps.
