The 2024 NFL Draft features potential future All-Pro talents at quarterback, wide receiver and offensive tackle. While the pool of pass-rushing talent isn’t quite as strong, Florida State Seminoles edge rusher Jared Verse reportedly could go quite high in Round 1 on Thursday.
Verse, a first-team All-American in the last two seasons at Florida State, began his collegiate career at Albany. The 6-foot-4 edge rusher blossomed into one of the best defensive players in college football, entering last season viewed as a projected first-round pick.
- Jared Verse stats 2023: 12.5 tackles for loss, 9 sacks, 3 pass deflections
Related: 2024 NFL Draft edge rusher rankings, see where Jared Verse places
Nothing Verse showed on film last year hurt his draft projection. At the start of the pre-draft process in January, he was viewed as a first-round lock who would likely be taken within the first 25 picks. It now appears his ceiling could be even higher than that on draft day.
According to ESPN’s Jordan Reid, Vrse being selected within the first 12 picks in the 2024 NFL Draft ‘isn’t out of the question’ as Round 1 nears. Talent evaluators love not only his physical tools, but his NFL-ready ability and the high floor he offers as an edge defender.
“Evaluators are really enamored with his floor and the pro-readiness of his game. Because of Verse’s reliability against the run and continued improvement as a pass-rusher, there are some teams that feel he’s the best of the bunch at the position right now. With heavy hands, his ability to consistently set the edge is evident on tape. The steps that Verse has made since transferring to FSU from Albany have many believing that he’s only going to continue to get better, too.”
Jordan Reid on Florida State Seminoles edge rusher Jared Verse
Also Read: 2024 NFL Draft prospect rankings, top 50 big board
- Jared Verse RAS: 9.60 Relative Athletic Score
In two seasons at Florida State, Verse produced 29.5 tackles for loss and 18 sacks in 25 games. He was one of the best pass rushers in the nation, demonstrating a skill set that should translate nicely to the next level.
Given the peak NFL Draft projection for Verse is a top-12 pick, that suggests he’s more likely to be chosen by the Denver Broncos (12th overall pick) or a team trading down with the Minnesota Vikings (11th overall pick) rather than being taken inside the top 10. Even if Verse slips right outside the top 12 selections, teams like the New Orleans Saints (14th overall pick), Seattle Seahawks (16th overall pick) and Los Angeles Rams (19th overall pick) likely represent his floor in the 2024 NFL Draft.
