It’s likely that Jared Verse would have gone Top 20 of the 2023 NFL Draft. Like you, it stuns me, even contending with Penn State’s Olumuyiwa Fashanu for the biggest surprise return to school. NFL Stock Exchange and PFF’s Lead NFL Draft Analyst Trevor Sikkema is quoted “(Verse) was one of my favorite draft prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft, and he’s going to be one of my favorite prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft. He would’ve been a top-ten pick last year.” PFF credits Verse with a 24.4% pass-rush win rate, ranking fourth among Power Five edge defenders. Verse was in contention with Tyree Wilson for my Edge #1 in 2023 over Lukas Van Ness and Myles Murphy.
Verse has his eyes on a big year in the ACC and another year removed from FCS Albany. In 2021, Verse was named first-team All-CAA with 75 tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss, 14.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles. Looking at his first year at Florida State, 1st Team All-ACC Verse appeared in 12 games and productively showed out. Verse jumped off the TV screen and made a name for himself with 3 TFLs, 2.0 sacks, and a blocked field goal that ended up being the difference in a 24-23 win for the Seminoles against LSU. Beyond that, Verse appeared in 12 games, leading him to 9.0 sacks, 48 tackles, and even more importantly 17.0 TFLs.
Potential Fits For Jared Verse In The 2024 NFL Draft
Chicago Bears
A one-year deal for Yannick Ngakoue is a nice addition to a Chicago defensive line that needs a pass rush. Ngakoue never finishes with less than 8 sacks, but he isn’t enough of a solution. Verse has all the makings of a double-digit sack pass rusher.
Atlanta Falcons
“The Falcons need pass rush” is a broken record, I know. Verse’s thick frame, ultra-violent hands, and apparent athletic flexibility will appeal to Falcons’ DC Ryan Nielsen. Nielsen builds that defensive line room with his own NFL Draft homegrown youth to go along with veterans such as Calais Campbell, Grady Jarrett, David Onyemata, etc.
Arizona Cardinals
Arizona is going to be the popular “big shopper” in 2024 NFL Draft mocks for elite players because we know three things: 1) The Cardinals are blowing it up 2) The Cardinals have their pick and the Texans’ 3) The Cardinals are going to be a viciously horrible team in 2023. The Cardinals need everything, and “everything” starts with beef on the line of scrimmage. They chose the elite offensive lineman route with Paris Johnson, time for the defensive line.
