Jared Verse Could Return Bears to ‘Monsters of the Midway’

Florida State University (FSU) Edge Jared Verse has the potential to be the best game-changing draft pick on the defensive side of the ball in years.

This pass-rushing terror has that old-school type of factor brewing inside him, along with versatility.

With lightning awareness, a high motor, and his lower body power, Verse could change a whole defensive scheme.

Verse in the Windy City?

The Chicago Bears could be the perfect landing spot for Verse when I think about it. There’s also been a building belief out there that this FSU edge rusher could be selected by the team in the 2024 NFL Draft.

The reality is Chicago is a team that is known historically for their defense and Verse could start the return of the Monsters of the Midway. This was the affectionate nickname of their defensive unit back when they were dominant in the mid-80s.

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With the Bears loaded with picks in the draft over the next two years, they have the chance to reincarnate their glory days. Imagine adding Verse to the mix since they already have defensive tackle Gervon Dexter Sr., linebackers Jack Sanborn and Tremaine Edmunds, along with strong safety Jaquan Brisker.

Verse has that same type of mentality these other defenders have – – so why not bring him in?

Overview: Jared Verse

6-foot-4, 250 pounds

40 time: 4.59 (nfldraftbuzz.com)

2022 stats: 47 tackles (22 solo), 9 sacks and a 23.4% pass-rush win rate (pff.com)

Level of Competition: Medium

Colton Edwards Grade: Early First-Round (Top 5) Early 2023 Fall Report

2022 Film Evaluated: Clemson, Louisville, LSU, and Wake Forest

2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report:

Verse has elite athletic ability and great explosion. He accelerates low with power. His relentless blindside pursuit helps him to track down ball carriers across the field. He explodes off the line of scrimmage, playing with a low pad level. He converts speed into power effectively enough to put an offensive lineman into the backfield to disrupt the play. One of the favorite attributes of Verse that a lot of scouts point out, is his quick first step. Verse consistently delivers strength, violent hands and showcases the ability to hold his ground against “bigger” opposition. His high motor is consistent, which reflects himself as a high-effort player who brings tenacious energy to any defense.

Summary:

With a slow start to his “production” in 2023 in the eyes of most fans, Verse has had his hands full this season with double-teams and chip blocks designed to slow him down. Despite that, he continues to show initial quickness and good flexibility to dip and bend. He has active hands and suddenness to his movements, demonstrating the ability to counter inside. One of my favorite abilities about him is he can consistently contain the edge not allowing much outside or bounce-back plays. Everyone loves ball players with versatility, and he truly has that.

Not to mention, Verse made Bruce Feldman’s 2023 ‘Freaks List‘ at No. 26.

At 6-3 1/2, 260 pounds, Verse power-cleans 360 pounds, squats 555 and benches 455, but he also has excellent burst, running 21.14 MPH in a game with a max acceleration of 5.85m/s with a max deceleration of -6.98m/s.

Bruce Feldman

With that being said, keep an eye out for this man in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Who will he remind us of?

Former Giants defensive end, Justin Tuck, who played in 147 games while logging 66.5 career sacks.

Colton just graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Sports Science at the United States Sports Academy. He has previous coaching experience as a former offense and defensive line coach at a local high school. While performing those duties, he also worked at PFF( Pro Football Focus) for a brief moment of time. He currently develops scouting reports here at firstroundmock.com. His aspirations are to become an NFL Scout/GM in the future.