Los Angeles Rams outside linebacker Jared Verse delivered the kind a rookie season that most first-year players crave, ending his first debut with a Defensive Rookie of the Year honor. Despite the award and recognition, Verse isn’t satisfied with where he is and is focusing on improving as he enters his sophomore year.
“The biggest thing I realized was how many sacks — and not even just sacks but big plays — I missed out on,” Verse said. “Dropping in coverage, I could have done this; or rushing the pass, I could have done that. Even in the run game a couple of times, there were things where I’m a little too far inside, I’m a little too far outside, and I could have made a big impact play. So realizing that this really is a game of inches — whether it’s just stopping the ball or actually just doing your job — there’s a couple of things I could’ve done better.”
Verse led the league for most quarterback hits (20), pressures (77) and hurries (56) by a rookie and was second in rookies in tackles (11). He played in all 17 games, starting 16, and finished with 66 total tackles, 4.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
“I don’t really feel too much pressure,” Verse said. “If I am who I am and I take the strides that are needed to be taken, I’m going to be the best version of me and I’m going to be able to help the team in any facet that they need.”
Verse now has one offseason in the NFL already behind him and says he feels “more prepared.” He said he got advice from a former NFL player who told him watch all the film, not just the good plays.
“[Not just] trying to be high on myself and only watch the good plays, watch more of the bad plays than the good and realize what I could work on. I did that, and I feel more prepared than I’ve ever been,” Verse said.
Luckily for Verse, he has one of the greatest defensive players in recent history as a resource. Verse took to social media to ask former Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald, who retired in 2023, for a workout and the three-time Defensive Player of the Year responded with the proposal of an “old man workout.” They got together at the 34-year-old’s home gym and Verse got to see why Donald was a 10-time Pro Bowler.
Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula, who was with the Rams for many of Donald’s years, said the key to Verse stepping up into the next category is to not play a comparison game.
“It’s not really [about getting him to] elevate… we were just talking about it this morning,” Shula said. “We don’t want him to put any extra pressure on himself, just like we talked about with Kobie Turner last year. You don’t got to replace Aaron Donald. You don’t have to do anything else — just be the best version of yourself. That’s all we’re challenging him to do is understand his ops [opportunities] within the scheme of the defense, which we started to do in the middle of the season last year, and to just be himself. We’re not looking for any stats, not looking for anything — just want him to play hard and be his best self every single day.”
The Rams open their 2025 season Sept. 7 against the Houston Texans.
