The Los Angeles Rams found yet another gem in the NFL Draft.
They took Florida State star Jared Verse with the No. 19 pick, and it didn’t take long before he proved why he was projected to be a top-10 selection.
The standout pass-rusher ran away with NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors, and he even earned a Pro Bowl selection as a rookie.
However, despite his impressive production, he recently complained about all the miscues he had and the mistakes he made, arguing that he realized that he could’ve had at least ten more sacks after re-watching the tape from his rookie season:
“The biggest thing I realized was how many sacks — and not even just sacks but big plays — I missed out on,” Verse said when asked about his takeaways from watching film from his rookie season. “Dropping in coverage, I could have done this; or rushing the pass, I could have done that. So realizing that this really is a game of inches — whether it’s just stopping the ball or actually just doing your job — there’s a couple of things I could’ve done better.”
Truth be told, that’s the kind of hunger you want from your young players, and the determination to get better should only make him a scarier player in his second year in the league.
While he didn’t get the 14.5 sacks he thought he should’ve had, he still led all rookies with 77 pressures, 56 hurries, and 20 QB hits.
He also had the second-most tackles for loss (11) among rookies, and those 4.5 sacks were a solid cherry on top of the sundae.
Verse posted the second-most hurries and fourth-most pressures among all players, not only rookies, and he added 66 tackles, two forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries in 17 appearances (16 starts).
That was a better rookie season than most players could even dream of, but he’s not like the average player, and it will be a joy to watch how far he can take things now that he’s got a big chip on his shoulder.
NEXT: Jared Verse Gets Honest About Aaron Donald's Workout Challenge
