Jared Verse's rookie Pro Bowl nod proves sacks are no longer OLB gold standard

LA Rams rookie outside linebacker does not lead the NFL in quarterback sacks. He does not lead the rookie class of 2024 in that statistic either. Truthfully, he does not even lead his team, the Los Angeles Rams, in quarterback sacks this year. But he does so many things so well that it hasn't been held against him. That is a refreshing twist for a team that continues to put rookies into the biggest games on the biggest NFL stages and watch them perform like an in-his-prime veteran, only to be unheralded at season's end.

The LA Rams have plenty of players who have earned accolades but were not voted into those honors. The most recent example is 2023 when the Rams boasted two rookies on defense who played lights out: OLB Byron Young and NT Kobie Turner. Both boasted DROY numbers, and the pair led all rookies in quarterback sacks in 2023. But the honors of Rookie of the Year went to Houston Texans rookie defensive end Will Anderson Jr.

Anderson kicked in 45 tackles, 7.0 QB sacks, 10 tackles for loss, and 22 QB hits, most among rookies. Anderson generated 64 QB pressures and a whopping 17.3 percent pressure rate, both tops in his class. But Rams OLB Byron Young delivered 8.0 QB sacks, 8 tackles for a loss, 19 QB hits, and put up lots of QB pressures in 20243. Similarly, NT Kobie Turner chalked up 57 tackles, 9.0 QB sacks, 8 tackles for a loss, and 16 QB hits. Young and Turner combined for 110 QB pressures in 2023, the most by any rookie duo since 2018.

And yet, Anderson outscored both Young and Turner in DROY voting by a significant margin.

Jared Verse is not a typical rookie OLB

Fast-forward to 2024 and the first of many NFL honors has been dolled out. While the Rams overall have been snubbed in Pro Bowl awards in 2024, one name jumps out this season. LA Rams rookie outside linebacker Jared Verse has been named to the 2025 Pro Bowl game. And that information is hot off the presses today.

So, how did he do it?

Jared Verse may be a rookie, but he plays like a seasoned NFL veteran. In 16 games and 823 defensive snaps, he has amassed 65 tackles, 4.5 quarterback sacks, 11 tackles for a loss, and 18 quarterback hits. Per Brandon Thorn and Trench Warfare, Verse has 68 quarterback pressures, only trailing Kansas City Chiefs DE Chris Jones (69) and Cleveland Browns OLB Myles Garrett (69). That makes Rams rookie OLB Jared Verse the top performer in QB pressures in the NFC, rookies and veterans:

Keep in mind that Verse plays a huge part in the Rams pass rush. What that means is that he unselfishly pressures the quarterback, who in the course of evading his quarterback sack, runs into the waiting arms of one of Verse's teammates. And then there is the matter of multiple quarterback sacks not recorded due to defensive penalties.

Verse is everything that the Rams front office sought in the 2024 NFL Draft, and then some.

Per Pro Football Focus, Jared Verse is a one-man wrecking crew coming off the edge. He checks in with an elite overall grade of 85.9, and they have him down with 6.0 QB sacks and 75 total pressures. While the Pro Bowl continues to be more about a player's popularity than substance, it's wonderful to see that at least one Rams elite player is confirmed as an NFL star in his rookie season.

The LA Rams have multiple players snubbed this season. Thankfully, rookie OLB Jared Verse is not among them.

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