Rams veteran hype is getting louder every day at camp (and for good reason)

By the time the smoke had cleared at Lincoln Financial Field as the Los Angeles Rams battled for their playoff lives against the Philadelphia Eagles, the snow, the travel, the time zone difference, and Eagles RB Saquon Barkley had combined to defeat the Rams and send them home. While some view the Rams' postseason campaign as unsuccessful, I'm not convinced that this team did not discover some very valuable information about DC Chris Shula in his first season as the Rams' defensive coordinator.

He knows what he's doing.

While Shula may have inherited some defensive building blocks, he was the guy who also had to brainstorm ways to solve how this defense could effectively absorb the absence of retired All-Pro defensive tackle Aaron Donald. And as the final score of 28 to 22 confirmed that the Eagles were heading home, shown the door after just two NFL playoff games, more evidence appeared that confirmed something else was happening.

The Rams pass rush had just recorded 16 quarterback sacks in two games. And despite all of the pregame trash-talking, rookie outside linebacker Jared Verse did something that few visiting players ever do when playing against the Philadelphia Eagles. He earned their respect.

Now, hold that thought and fast forward six months. The fact that Jared Verse was named by NFL executives, coaches, and scouts as one of the Top-10 NFL best pass rushers makes sense now. And that opens the door to much more where that came from:

ESPN NFL Insider/analyst Jeremy Fowler does an excellent job of explaining the complexity of hoisting Jared Verse so high among his peers. Despite ending the survey in a dead heat with DE Brian Burns and OLB Nik Bonnito, he earned the 10th and final spot over the other two because he is the most feared in NFL circles.

While other veterans have plateaued, don't think for a minute that Verse is a one-hit wonder. He was a rookie in a new NFL defense that even returning veterans were trying to figure out. And the truth of the matter is that the Rams' pass rush was a pale shadow of itself to start the season, despite how chaotic and effective it proved to be in the postseason.

Verse ended the 2024 NFL season with 4.5 quarterback sacks. In just two playoff games, he had racked up 2.0 more quarterback sacks. It's logical to assume that his 2025 NFL season will resemble the playoff production more closely than last season's numbers.

Keep in mind that much of Verse's quarterback pressure was based on his power rush, which he defaulted to most of the time. He has been working in the offseason to add other pass rush moves to his arsenal, specifically adding a speed rush move. Now, with more options at his disposal, the advantage continues to lean more and more to the second-year veteran outside linebacker.

Jared Verse has earned the respect of Eagles fans. But he has earned the love, admiration, and respect of Rams fans. The Defensive Rookie of the Year is onto bigger and better things this season.

If the Rams rookie lands among the Top 10 NFL pass rushers, imagine where he may land in his second season.

The Rams veteran hype is getting louder every day over OLB Jared Verse as training camp nears (and for good reason). He was a force to be reckoned with in 2024. He could be even more dominating this season. Of course, the Rams defense has other rising stars as well. But for now, it looks as though Jared Verse is locked and loaded for an incredible 2025 NFL season.

As always, thanks for reading.

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