V-8 engine roars and other great takeaways from Rams-Cowboys joint practice

(1) - Jared Verse has a great outing

The LA Rams have not had a Round 1 rookie on this roster since the team drafted rookie quarterback Jared Goff with the first overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. Eight years later, the team once again stepped up to the podium in Round 1 of the 2024 NFL Draft to select former Florida State Seminoles outside linebacker Jared Verse.

At the time, I knew that Verse would be a good one. In every mock draft run for the 2024 NFL Draft, Jared Verse was unanimously off the board before the Rams selected with the 19th overall pick. But as fate would have it, offensive players were the choice of many NFL teams. So many offensive players, in fact, that the Top-10 projected Jared Verse fell to the Rams at 19.

And he may be one of the most talented rookies out of the entire 2024 NFL Draft.

So far, Jared Verse has been competing against the LA Rams offensive linemen. And with so many injured starters, you have to wonder if he is that good or if he merely was appearing to be better facing injured or backup players. Well, new evidence is in, and he is even better than the brochure.

He was given a chance to compete against the Dallas Cowboys. And after the session, reporters asked Cowboys starting quarterback Dak Prescott about rookie pass rusher Jared Verse:

When an opposing quarterback makes it a point to notice you, and sing your praises at the podium in a press conference, that is indeed one of the highest forms of praise that a rookie can ever hope to get at this stage of the season.

But let's be very clear. This was not just unearned praise. Just look what Jared Verse does in one-on-one drills in the video below:

Jared Verse is going to create some problems for offensive coordinators this season. And he is just one of the many young heat-seeking missiles on this defensive front. The Rams are getting tremendous production out of DT Kobie Turner and OLB Byron Young as well. And rookie DT Braden Fiske has been getting tremendous praise as well.

They call Byron Young 'Agent 0', as in her majesty's secret service.. And Jared Verse is nicknamed 'V-8' as in the high-horsepower engine. Well, you could hear that V-8 engine running loud and long against the Cowboys all afternoon. And I can't wait until the next time that engine roars.

Thanks for reading.