Jared Verse Scouting Report

By: Michael Higgins

(Image courtesy of Charles Mays/Tomahawk Nation)

School: Florida State

Class: Redshirt Junior

Position: EDGE

HT: 6’4

WT: 251 lbs

Sideline Prospect Ranking: #14

Background: Jared Verse is a well-rounded athlete who has been successful in just about every sport he has competed in. Verse comes from Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania and attended Central Columbia High School. At Central Columbia, Verse was a three-time All-PHAC athlete. He lettered in basketball, won the state championship in the 4x400 relay, and also played both sides of the ball on the football team. Verse was not recruited much at all in high school and elected to play his college football at the University of Albany.

College: Verse played in 15 games over the span of two seasons for UAlbany. He was a First Team All-Conference selection and named the FCS Freshman of the Year. After dominating the FCS for two seasons, Verse needed a bigger stage to help pursue his dreams, so he transferred to Florida State. In his first season at Florida State, Verse was named to the All-America First Team and likely would have been picked no later than Day 2 of the 2023 Draft but opted to return to school. Verse also had the highest sacks per game rate of 0.75. He had 9 sacks in 12 games and broke out as a true game changer for the Seminoles.

Strengths: Jared Verse shows impressive burst off the edge. He is able to turn his speed into power at the point of attack and has one of the best bull rushes in the nation. His ability to set the edge with power is almost matched by his ability to win with finesse. He has a full bag of moves in his arsenal and he uses them all accordingly. His chop, swim move, and bull rush are all equally as impressive as the other. While his volume statistics are impressive, he does not get enough credit for how often he destroys a clean pocket, leading to a sack from one of his teammates who didn’t have to deal with a double team. One on one matchups will not work for an opponent as he has too many options in terms of how to get around a tackle. A chip block or a strict double team is the best way to slow Verse down. Verse explodes off the line of scrimmage and consistently beats the opponent with that quick first step. For an imposing physical presence, he maintains an elite athletic ability. This athleticism is something he never turns off. Verse never stops moving his legs and plays through the whistle.

Weaknesses: While Verse has a high motor, he tends to work himself too far up the field and taking himself out of the play. Verse is an elite pass rusher, but he shows some struggles in containing the run. He is so fierce and physical in the pass rush but when it comes to closing gaps and containing the run, the instincts are not quite there.

Conclusion: Jared Verse is going to be a problem in the NFL as he was a late bloomer but is still dominating at the highest level. If he improves his ability to stop the run, he is going to be getting a heavy workload quickly.

Scheme Fit: 4-3

Ideal Role: Hand in the Dirt LE

Best Team Fits: CHI, PIT, NE

Player Comparison: Matt Judon

Player Grade: 89.6