Rams’ Jared Verse compares to this former first round edge rusher
The Los Angeles Rams have built one of the youngest and most intriguing defensive fronts in the NFL but as the 2026 season approaches, one player stands above the rest when it comes to pressure and expectations: Jared Verse.
The former Florida State standout entered the NFL with massive hype after the Rams selected him with the 19th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Verse immediately looked like a foundational piece for the future. He brought explosiveness, power, and relentless effort off the edge. His rookie campaign even resulted in him winning Defensive Rookie of the Year honors, which only elevated the expectations surrounding his future.
However, the NFL is ultimately a production business for edge rushers. While Verse has been disruptive through his first two seasons, the Rams now need him to take the next step from very good player" to true game-changing superstar. That leap has to happen in year three.
Verse finished his rookie season in 2024 with 4.5 sacks, 66 total tackles, two forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries. In 2025, he improved his sack total to 7.5 while adding 58 tackles and three forced fumbles. Across his first two NFL seasons, Verse totaled 12 sacks and consistently generated pressure, but the sack production still has not fully matched the level of talent and disruption he flashes on tape.
For many edge rushers, that third season is where everything finally clicks. The Rams are counting on that happening with Verse.
One of the best comparisons for Verse may be former first overall pick Cameron Jordan. Like Verse, Jordan entered the league as an elite athlete with massive expectations for the Saints.
Then came year three.
Jordan entered the NFL as the 24th overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints. Much like Verse, Jordan flashed tremendous talent early in his career but did not immediately become a dominant sack producer. Jordan recorded just 1 sack as a rookie before improving to 8 sacks in year two. Then came the massive third-year leap.
In his third NFL season, Jordan exploded for 12.5 sacks and established himself as one of the league's premier edge defenders. From that point forward, he became one of the NFL's most consistent pass rushers and eventually developed into a perennial Pro Bowl player and franchise defensive cornerstone. In his career, Jordan has amassed 8 pro bowls, one first team All-Pro, and two second team All-Pro nominations. During his peak years, Jordan tallied 98 sacks in a 9 year span (2013-2021). The tackles for loss, QB hits, and pressures were amongst the league's best.
Active players with the most career sacks...
- NFL Stats (@NFL_Stats) March 10, 2023
Von Miller - 123.5
Cameron Jordan - 115.5
Chandler Jones - 112
Justin Houston - 111.5
Aaron Donald - 103
Robert Quinn - 102
Carlos Dunlap - 100
Calais Campbell - 99
Jason Pierre-Paul - 94.5
Khalil Mack - 84.5
Like Jordan early in his career, Verse already impacts games in ways that do not always show up in the sack column. He is a violent run defender. He plays with exceptional energy. He forces quarterbacks off their spots and creates chaos even when he does not finish the play himself. Coaches love players like that because the foundation for elite production already exists.
The next step is turning pressures into sacks consistently.
That is often the biggest difference between a good" edge rusher and a true superstar. Verse has already proven he can beat offensive tackles one-on-one. What the Rams now need is better finishing ability, more refined pass-rush counters, and greater consistency closing plays when opportunities appear.
The Rams continue building one of the NFL's most athletic young defensive fronts. Braden Fiske has developed into a disruptive interior presence, while Kobie Turner continues commanding attention inside. That interior pressure should create more one-on-one opportunities for Verse off the edge. Los Angeles also improved its secondary, which could force opposing quarterbacks to hold the football longer. Even an extra half-second can be the difference between pressure and a sack.
Everything is now set up for Verse to break out.
The Rams did not draft Verse in the first round simply to become a solid starter. They drafted him to become the centerpiece of their defense for the next decade.