The Los Angeles Rams were thrilled to land Jared Verse at No. 19 overall in the draft, securing one of the top edge rushers in the 2024 class – a player they thought might be off the board by the time they went on the clock in Round 1.
We know they tried to trade up for tight end Brock Bowers, and they also might’ve had their eye on another player in the first round: Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy II.
Maurice Jones-Drew, who calls Rams games on the radio, told Seattle-based podcast Bump and Stacy that Los Angeles was going to take Murphy at No. 19 if the Seahawks hadn’t selected him three picks prior.
“I know the Rams were going to take Byron Murphy if you guys didn’t,” Jones-Drew said. “He has the body type (and) the potential to be what Aaron Donald was for the Rams, a guy that can be disruptive, take over games from the inside. The guard position in the National Football League isn’t the best right now. So you get a piece that can really penetrate the pocket and put pressure on the quarterback. … To me, he was (one of) the top three pass rushers up there.”
The connection between the Rams and Murphy makes sense following the retirement of Aaron Donald, with Los Angeles looking for defensive line help this offseason. Murphy was the top interior defender in the draft and would’ve been a great selection for the Rams, just as Verse was.
Another report from Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda linked the Rams to Murphy, as well. According to Pauline, who visited Seahawks rookie minicamp, the Rams and Eagles both tried to trade up to No. 16. Los Angeles was targeting Murphy, while the Eagles wanted Quinyon Mitchell.
Neither actually happened, but Seattle had offers to move the pick. Sources tell me that two teams, the Los Angeles Rams and Philadelphia Eagles, attempted to move up and acquire Seattle’s selection. The Rams wanted Murphy. The Eagles were concerned they would lose out on cornerback Quinyon Mitchell.
Again, the Rams are elated to have Verse in their building, and they also love that they were able to land Braden Fiske in Round 2. But it seems like there are some breadcrumbs linking them to Murphy, who might’ve been their primary target after Bowers.