Latest NFL news solidifies Rams first-round pick Jared Verse's status as Rookie of the Year frontrunner
Jared Verse is the commanding favorite for the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year award. The Los Angeles Rams defensive end is -2000 for the honor, per DraftKings Sportsbook, well ahead of Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Quinyon Mitchell at +800. And Verse took another step towards the award on Thursday as he was named as the […]
Jared Verse is the commanding favorite for the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year award.
The Los Angeles Rams defensive end is -2000 for the honor, per DraftKings Sportsbook, well ahead of Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Quinyon Mitchell at +800.
And Verse took another step towards the award on Thursday as he was named as the Rams' sole representative for this season's Pro Bowl Games.
The 19th overall pick has 4.5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss this season and has also tallied 18 quarterback hits.
More impressively, Verse has 75 quarterback pressures so far in his rookie season, the fourth-most among all edge defenders, per Pro Football Focus.
Additionally, Verse is sixth among edge defenders with at least 100 pass rush snaps in pass rush win rate (19.2%) and is seventh among defensive ends in Sports Info Solutions' 'points saved' metric on pass rush plays and first in the same metric for run defense, illustrating his overall impact for Los Angeles.
Head coach Sean McVay said of Verse this week: "Jared Verse has really grown a lot.
"He's coachable. I think he's really starting to understand, like we've talked about before, where are my play ops? What's the intent behind some of these calls or these movements that [Outside Linebackers Coach] Joe [Coniglio], [Defensive Line Coach] Giff [Smith] and [Assistant Defensive Line Coach] AC [Carter] activate up front?
"I think it's really been a combination of guys learning how to rush together better. Jared understands where his opportunities align."
That understanding has seen Verse move into a position where he is deservedly the favorite for Rookie of the Year recognition on the defensive side. With Verse earning a Pro Bowl nod and Mitchell missing out, the gap between the two top contenders appears to be widening.
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A plan will be in place for Sunday.
