The LA Rams best defensive player right now, rookie Jared Verse, can't tackle

The LA Rams have invested a great deal into their defensive front. Perhaps spurred on by the retirement of All-Pro Aaron Donald, the team has spent four of their top five draft pick in the past two NFL Drafts on the defensive front. In 2023, the team selected OLB Byron Young (Tennessee, 77th overall) and NT Kobie Turner (Wake Forest, 89th overall)

In 2024, the team selected OLB Jared Verse (Florida State, 19th overall) and DT Braden Fiske (Florida State, 36th overall). Of course, everyone remotely familiar with the NFL knew and understood that both Jared Verse and Braden Fiske would be very dangerous reunited on the Rams roster. And therein lies the boon and the bane of the Rams experience on the defensive front.

Perhaps the most dangerous player on the Rams' defense right now is rookie outside linebacker Jared Verse. He is chaos draped by a hurricane, an undeniably effective defensive force. And so far, he has been making opposing quarterbacks quite nervous. ,

And that is not hyperbole:

The problem is that he gets there, but fails to wrap up. But to be fair, Jared Verse had two quarterback sacks taken off the board thanks to penalties by the team's defensive backs. But even without 2.0 quarterback sacks in Week 4, Verse has been very effective at chasing quarterbacks out of the pocket.

But with 19 tackles and 6 missed tackles, his 24 percent missed tackle rate is alarming.

I'm not decrying the team's young edge rusher. He has played four games in the NFL. That's not a wide range of experiences to draw upon. And yet, the Rams inability to get tackles from a rookie defender is only complicating the fact that the entire defense is struggling to tackle right now.

Verse is simply one of many players who are not wrapping up and making tackles. Until he, and the entire defense, learns to tackle, his pass rush will remain a tarnished statistic.

As always, thanks for reading.