As the compliments keep rolling in regarding the Rams’ selection of Jared Verse, the team could not be happier with how things shaped out last night. While the majority of Rams fans have expressed satisfaction over the selection, there are a select few who have expressed doubts over the pick.
However, many people in the football community have been praising Verse’s play and regard him as a can’t-miss prospect. This was made even more evident by yet another statement of support, this time by former Falcons head coach Mike Smith.
Smith spent seven years as the Atlanta Falcons head coach, winning two NFC South titles and clinching four playoff berths. A defensive coach by trade, he has tremendous insight into the play of edge rushers like Verse.
Complementing his play, Smith compared Verse to Pro Football Hall of Famer Dwight Freeney. Speaking of the Florida State pass rusher two weeks ago in an interview with Betway, Smith said this about Verse.
“There’s a more surprise guy we need to talk about in Jared Verse from Florida State, who was a transfer from Albany University,” he said. “He’s a freak, too. He is something. The thing I like about him is he reminds me a lot of Dwight Freeney. He’s a guy with elite speed and he’s good with his speed to power and that’s why he reminds me of Freeney. He understands leverage and he is a productive player against the run.”
After a remarkable career, Freeney was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame. He was also a three-time first-team All-Pro selection, totaling 125.5 sacks in his 16-year career.
If Verse puts up even half of those numbers, the Rams got a steal at Pick 19.