Here's why rookie Jared Verse can lead 2nd wave of Rams D dominance

3 ways Verse leads Rams D 2nd wave in 2024

Perhaps one of the most alarming trends in modern times is the lack of understanding about the game of football that many rookie prospects seem to possess. Humility is becoming scarce as more and more rookies seem to enter the NFL Draft entirely believing that they will become the greatest of all time simply by showing up.

But that is not how team sports works. Great performances by quarterbacks and running backs are only possible with great offensive linemen. Great performances by wide receivers and tight ends are only possible with great quarterbacks. Great performances by defensive backs are only possible behind fierce defensive fronts. Football may showcase individual statistics, but it's a team sport and will forever be about players cooperating and communicating to help the team win.

So what does Jared Verse offer this defense in 2024 that can help them dominate in a second wave of infusing new talent? Even at this early point in time, we can already see several ways that Verse will add to the defense's strengths.

IV: A balanced attack

Perhaps the value of adding a player who is very good at just about everything required of an NFL outside linebacker is not glamorous enough to make headlines. But early on in the scouting reviews of 2024 edge rushers, one of the most vital components about former Florida State OLB Jared Verse is the fact that he is the complete package.

While other rookie prospects may have been viewed as the best in any one role required by the outside linebacker, Verse stood out in every role. He was a consensus first round projection, but many draft scouts and analysts had him among the first ten rookies to come off the board. The fact that he fell to the Rams at 19 is a spectacular turn of good fortune for this team.

Verse is a rookie who possesses incredible athleticism, but who ignore physical advantages in the quest to outhustle, outmuscle, and outperform competition on every play. He is not simply a physical player, but his perception of the game and his savvy and deceptive style not only amplifies his football production, but hinders future opponents from GPSing and traits or tendencies that could give them an advantage in the future.