Jared Verse: Zero To NFL Hero

The story of Jared Verse is what sports is all about.

Verse was a ZERO STAR recruit with one scholarship offer to Albany College in New York.

Verse got bigger, stronger, and played so well it caught the attention of the biggest college football programs in America and he ended up committing to Florida State University.

As a Seminoles standout, Verse changed the program’s defense and has helped lead the Seminoles to a potential college football playoff berth.

Is Verse worth the hype?

Let’s start by saying that the game film never lies.

What are his traits?

Great Story, Even better player

The first thing that pops off the screen when watching Verse is his fast get-off when the ball is snapped.

As a pass rusher coming off the edge, having that elite first step makes life ten times easier as the offensive tackle automatically knows you are a threat outside on every play.

Verse’s explosive first step combined with his size (6-foot-4, 260 pounds) presents a devastating combination.

In the NFL, NO MATTER HOW GOOD AN ATHLETE IS, he will not be able to be a good pass rusher without good hand usage.

Another trait I love about Verse is his hand usage.

Verse has excellent hand placement and he strikes with bad intentions to aid his pass rush swim, cross chop, and rip moves.

Verse does a great job setting up offensive linemen with his speed and wins inside with his counter moves.

Then there’s his relentless motor.

Verse does not stop trying to get after the quarterback – – and against the run Verse is sideline to sideline rallying to the football. Also on run plays, Verse is good at shedding blocks and making tackles. He is a very impressive prospect.

Verse can fit in any scheme whether at defensive End or Outside pass rush linebacker. All 32 teams should be trying to get this defender, especially teams who operate in wide alignments.

What keeps Verse from being elite?

As much as I love Verse, I do NOT consider him an elite defensive line prospect. I do not consider him in the Myles Garrett (Browns), Von Miller (Bills), Khalil Mack (Chargers), Micah Parsons (Cowboys), or Nick Bosa (49ers) tier. Verse does not have elite bend or twitchy movements in his hips. He also does not have elite length. In the run game, Verse can be taken advantage of on a read option and on reverses, as he is very aggressive and tends to overshoot the play.

Too old?

Verse’s age will be a hot topic of conversation as he turns 24 next November 4. However, for me that should have zero to do with his draft grade, as I would rather have an older good football player, than a young bad football player.

Scouting Report

Game Film Evidence (2022)

LSU

Oklahoma

(2023)

LSU

Virginia Tech

Wake Forest

Clemson

Miami

I can not wait to see Verse tear up the NFL.

A hyperactive strong or weak-side defender with a pass-rush plan, moves and the hands to make it happen. An immediate NFL starter. A relentless motor and the sheer will to stop the run and engage in physical football when need be. He will need to work on his body to become more flexible and work on his over-aggressive approach that can get him out of position at times.

Tatum Round Grade: First Round

Looking forward to:

The college playoffs to see if Verse shines on the big stage.

Rashad Tatum has been a deep-rooted fan of football since his grandpa introduced him to the game at the age of five years old. He’s from Houston, Texas. He uses YouTube and All22 film to break down prospects to give his direct analysis of players. Rashad has a trained eye developed by his former high school coach Steve Strahan who was in the NFL and played at Baylor University. He currently covers the top-rated prospects in the NFL Draft for Firstroundmock.com. When writing about football he lives by the motto “Lover of football, fan of no team.”