Sean McVay said after the draft that he did not expect Jared Verse to be available when the Rams were slated to pick at No. 19. Fortunately, the first 14 picks were all offensive players, so that pushed Verse down the board and into Los Angeles’ lap.
He was one of the three best edge rushers in the 2024 class, bringing a ready-made skill set to the NFL that should allow him to contribute right away. He has an impressive combination of size, speed, length and power as a pass rusher, which also helps him set the edge and engulf ball carriers in the run game.
Based on his combine testing and measurements, he compares favorably to former No. 1 overall pick and 2023 Defensive Player of the Year, Myles Garrett. NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah pointed out back in March that Verse and Garrett are the only two players in the last 10 years to run a 4.64 or faster in the 40 with at least 33-inch arms and 30-plus reps on the bench press.
Verse actually edged out Garrett in the 40, running a 4.58 compared to Myles’ 4.64.
Fastest 40 by anyone at Combine with 33+ arm length and 30+ Bench reps (last 10 years)
1. Jared Verse (2024): 4.58
2. Myles Garrett (2017): 4.64— Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) March 1, 2024
It’s not a perfect one-for-one comparison because Garrett is 5/8ths of an inch taller and 18 pounds heavier, but their testing numbers were extremely close. Verse had two fewer bench press reps but was faster in the 40 with better 10- and 20-yard splits. Garrett had an eye-popping 41-inch vertical compared to Verse’s still-impressive 35-inch jump, while Garrett also beat out Verse’s broad jump by 1 inch.
Here’s a side-by-side comparison using their Relative Athletic Scores.
None of this is to say the Rams got the next Myles Garrett, but Verse is a terrific athlete with a rare combination of speed, length and power on the edge.
All of that is very evident when watching his tape, too.