Jared Verse scouting report: Exploring the Florida State edge defender's strengths and weaknesses

After an initial redshirt year, Jared Verse was the Defensive Rookie of the Year for the Colonial Athletic Association thanks to double-digit TFLs in four games of the spring season. In the fall, he was a first-team all-conference selection thanks to 11.5 TFLs and 9.5 sacks at Albany.

Jared Verse decided to transfer to Florida State the following year and immediately got onto the national radar, as a dominant force off the edge. He racked up 48 tackles, 17 of those for loss, nine sacks and a fumble recovery, making him a first-team All-ACC selection in 2022.

Jared Verse's stats were very similar this past year, outside of 4.5 fewer TFLs and three PBUs (compared to none), repeating the all-conference honors along with second-team All-American recognition.

Profile: 6-foot-4, 250 pounds; RS JR.

Breaking down Jared Verse's scouting report

Run defense:

Has wicked jolt in his hands and a strong base to set a physical edge in the run game
Jared Verse's power allows him to just throw off tight-ends in the run game regularly, who (excessively) lean into him
Recognizes opportunities on the front-side of zone concepts to swipe away the hands of the tackle and wrap up ball-carriers for negative yardage
Capable of lifting under linemen and deconstructing blocks to get involved on tackles when the ball is nearby
There are some reps where he’s initially unblocked on the front-side, as the offense brings somebody across to kick him out and he’s up the field to create traffic, not allowing that extra gap to develop for an extra puller to lead up through
When sealed off away from the action, Jared Verse can mash his guy into the back of other blockers and create jams in the backfield
Can flatten down the down and chase down backs from the backside when left unblocked
Even when the ball goes outside his vicinity, Jared Verse typically pursues it hard and gets involved on tackles late as a result

Pass-rush:

Jared Verse's first step off the ball really stood out, despite playing along a front with some high recruits at FSU
There’s some apparent violence in Verse’s hands, on those chops and clubs, to knock blockers off balance with excellent hand-placement to maximize those
Strings his upper and lower half together very well, particularly to swipe by opponents on club-rip combos
Incorporates a nice in-and-out scissors maneuver to create a softer outside corner for himself and get home
Does well to incorporate stutter steps and slip inside of tackles who overset to the edge and off that, he realizes when it takes guys off balance and he can ride them into the quarterback
Has turned himself into the best pass-rusher in this class at combining pad-level and angles to shorten the corner for himself with power, regularly blowing through the best of offensive tackles, especially if they get too tall in their pass-sets
Showcases the mental fortitude on twists and stunts to the inside, where he realizes somebody peels off to him but slide too far and can take that create between linemen, at times with a spin move
As a redshirt sophomore and junior, his 24.4% and 21.8% pass-rush win rate ranked (tied for) fourth among Power Five edge defenders, while his total pressures increased from 36 to 62 on 124 additional opportunities (329 pass-rush snaps)
Has built a resume of taking over games late, such as the 2022 season-opener vs. LSU, the 2023 Florida game and then the ACC Championship against Louisville, to secure an undefeated regular season for the Seminoles

Weaknesses:

Isn’t one of those guys, who will stick his foot in the ground and chase down the ball on screens outside of him, whether it’s the flat-out speed or crazy effort that’d be necessary
Has to do a better job of finishing tackles, where he leaves his feet a lot and can slip off guys – missed 21 attempted stops over his two years with FSU (23.1% miss rate)
Lacks a little bit of ankle flexibility and looseness in his hips to flatten at the top of the rush without going through the tackle
While the moments of dominance in certain matchups and fourth quarters are great, there were also stretches of games where his impact wasn’t felt a whole lot

Jared Verse's 2024 NFL Draft prospect

If you’re looking for a traditional even-front defensive end, who will give you high level of play in the run and pass game, you can’t really go wrong with Jared Verse. Along with running sub-4.6 at the combine at 254 pounds, he finished second to only a 315-pound defensive tackle with 31 reps on the bench press, despite having 33.5-inch arms.

So the combination of length and strength is top-tier and then Jared Verse’s a very efficient pass-rusher in terms of the approach he takes.

Now, he won’t hit a cross-chop, get his body pointed towards the quarterback in one motion and get home within the first two seconds a whole lot, but if that guy drops back on third-and-long, Verse may dump the left tackle into his lap as he takes a hitch at the top of his five-step drop.

The thing Jared Verse really needs to clean up is the footwork to wrap up more securely as a tackler. Yet, if his coaches can help him become a little more consistent with collecting early wins, so he can dictate reps to his opponents more regularly.

I could see him flirt with double-digit sacks for multiple years of his rookie deal. I just feel very comfortable with the floor he provides me as a selection in the teens.

Grade: Top 15