Rams’ top pick, Florida State’s Jared Verse, got pre-draft advice from Aaron Donald
A few years ago, before he transferred to Florida State, Jared Verse was making his way as a defensive lineman for Albany when his coach set up a Zoom meeting with Rams star Aaron Donald.
“The biggest thing I took away from the questions I asked him,” Verse said, “was he said, ‘You don’t need a huge arsenal of moves. If you have a couple good moves and execute them to the highest level of your ability you will destroy everyone.’
“And just aggression beats everything.”
On Thursday night, Verse showed his hard work paid off.
The Rams selected the edge rusher with the No. 19 pick in the NFL draft.
Verse is the first player selected by the Rams in the first round since general manager Les Snead traded up a record 14 spots to choose Jared Goff with the No. 1 pick in 2016.
“It’s time to work,” Verse said during a video conference with reporters. “It’s time to show they didn’t make a mistake.
“It’s time to show ’em what we do. I’m excited for it. I’m excited to get work. ... I’m ready for it.”
Verse is also the first defensive lineman selected by the Rams in the first round since they chose Donald 13th in 2014. Now, Verse will be asked to help replace Donald, a three-time NFL defensive player of the year who announced his retirement in March.
“That’s big shoes to fill,” Verse said. “That’s an out-of-this-world player. That’s a once-in-a-lifetime future Hall of Famer. That’s one of the best players to ever live.
“But to be able to be in a position where they expect me to come in there and be able to fill that role — that’s something I’m ready for. Pressure makes diamonds. And I love pressure.”
USC produced the top pick of the NFL draft in Caleb Williams, and UCLA produced the first defensive player selected in Laiatu Latu, taken 15th.
Verse was the first player chosen in the first round by Rams coach Sean McVay since he became the Rams coach in 2017. Donald was part of five teams that made the playoffs and played in two Super Bowls, winning one.
“We’re never going to ask anybody to replace Aaron,” McVay said, “but you do want to continue to build the front, continue to be able to do those types of things. And Jared represented an opportunity to do that.
“We did feel like that there was maybe not quite as deep of an outside linebacker group, and so to be able to get a player of his caliber was really encouraging and everybody was fired up about that.”
Verse was “one of the probably top three players in terms of stamping, ‘We want this guy to be a Ram,’” Snead said.
“He cares about football, he has fun playing football and — Oh, by the way, he’s pretty disruptive, violent,” Snead said. “You think defense, the way he plays is next to the word in the dictionary.”
Verse played two seasons at Albany and two at Florida State, amassing 31½ sacks. He had nine sacks in each of his two seasons at Florida State, and last season had 12½ tackles for lost yardage.
Former UCLA QB Cade McNown has advice for Bears top pick Caleb Williams: “You’ve been drafted as the future, you have to live in the present.”
Snead said before the draft that he was pondering staying put at No. 19, or perhaps trading up for a prospect, or back for more picks.
Snead, McVay, assistant coaches and scouts gathered at the Rams draft house in Hermosa Beach, and watched 14 offensive players come off the board — including six quarterbacks — before the Indianapolis Colts took UCLA edge rusher Laiatu Latu.
The Seattle Seahawks took Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy II and the Minnesota Vikings traded up to select Alabama edge rusher Dallas Turner. When the Cincinnati Bengals selected Georgia offensive tackle Amarius Mims, that opened the door for the Rams.
The heavy emphasis on offensive players, “and probably the six QBs going helped Jared get to us,” Snead said.
New defensive coordinator Chris Shula can now construct a front that blends Verse with second-year pros Kobie Turner and edge rusher Byron Young, both second-year pros.
Verse said he received a text from Turner shortly after he was drafted, telling him to reach out for whatever he needed.
“I’m going to take him up on that offer,” Verse said, chuckling, “He’s going to regret sending that to me.”
The Bears have tried and failed to secure a franchise quarterback for years, and Chicago wonders whether Caleb Williams or J.J. McCarthy is the right choice.
Turner and Young also played at smaller schools before transferring to Power 5 schools.
Verse said during his time at Albany, he worked for Amazon and DoorDash to make ends meet. He said he plays with a chip on his shoulder because people doubted he could play college football, then doubted he could succeed at Florida State, and then doubted he could become a high draft pick.
He said he believes there are still doubters.
“I want people to doubt me on that one,” he said, “so I can prove ’em wrong one more time.”
Snead said Verse, as with Turner and Young, demonstrated competitiveness by challenging themselves to play at higher levels.
“Players that say, ‘Hey, you know what? I want to try at a level higher, the next level of the video game’ and then to go there and continue playing well, that definitely means something, shows something,” Snead said.
The Rams have 10 picks remaining in the draft, which continues Friday with the second and third rounds and concludes Saturday with the final four rounds.
Jared Verse — Edge
6 feet 4, 254 pounds, Florida State, Round 1, Pick 19
Notable: Verse played two seasons at Albany before transferring. He amassed 31½ sacks during his career, including 18 at Florida State. In 2023 he had at least two sacks in four games, including 2½ against Florida.
Last season: Verse had nine sacks and 1½ tackles for losses in 13 games for the Seminoles. He was an AFCA All-American.
Why the Rams drafted him: Future Hall of Fame defensive lineman Aaron Donald’s retirement left a gaping hole in a pass rush that already was in need of reinforcements. Tackle Kobie Turner and edge rusher Byron Young showed promise last season as rookies but, for the Rams to compete for a Super Bowl title, new defensive coordinator Chris Shula needs more players who can consistently pressure quarterbacks.
Go beyond the scoreboard
Get the latest on L.A.'s teams in the daily Sports Report newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
