The Los Angeles Rams found a star in edge rusher Jared Verse in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Verse blossomed into a great young player for the Rams, where he finished the year with 4.5 sacks and 18 quarterback hits before he won 2024 Defensive Rookie of the Year. He is one of the core players of L.A.'s revamped defensive line that includes Byron Young, Kobie Turner, Braden Fiske and Poona Ford.
Pro Football Focus went a bit further with their praise for Verse. PFF found that Verse is the highest-graded player to be drafted No. 19 overall in the past 10 seasons with an 89.3 grade.
"The reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year already looks like a cornerstone for the Rams’ defense," PFF's Max Chadwick wrote. "His 76 pressures were fourth among all edge defenders last season [and his] 20% pass-rush win rate was fifth."
Verse has some tough competition for this accolade, too, with three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jeffrey Simmons of the Tennessee Titans and defensive lineman Calijah Kancey of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers also being taken No. 19 overall in their respective classes.
The Rams next goal, if they keep the pick, is to find a player who can beat out the No. 26 pick on PFF's list in edge rusher Montez Sweat and his 82.4 PFF grade. L.A. could have a lot of options with the pick (including trading up or down in the draft) but will likely want to add another impact player, like they did with Verse in 2024.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Rams' Jared Verse among PFF's all-decade draft team