How can Jared Verse become more complete pass rusher in 2025?

Rams edge rusher Jared Verse dominated as a rookie, but can he take the next step?

The Los Angeles Rams lucked into one of the best defenders of the 2024 NFL Draft last season when they selected edge rusher Jared Verse with the 19th overall pick. It was a mild surprise that the Rams were able to select Verse at 19 given his talent. However, with the focus on offensive players at the top of the first round, Verse fell right into the Rams’ lap.

Verse had a fantastic season for a rookie edge rusher and entered the conversation as one of the better players at his position in the NFL. His true pressure score of 52.5 and 34 high-quality pressured trailed only Myles Garrett on the edge. He also led the NFL with 6.4 snaps per pressure. Since PFF started tracking pressures in 2006, Verse’s 77 pressures as a rookie in 2024 were fewer than only Nick Bosa’s 80 as a rookie in 2019.

While Verse had an impressive rookie season, he’ll be expected to build on that and continue to take steps forward in his development. There are still things he’ll need to improve and that will include building up his pass rush toolbox. As a rookie, his bull rush ability and his pure power were exceptional.

Still, Verse went eight consecutive starts at the end of the season without getting to the quarterback because he was a power-first edge rusher. Sacks can be a luck-based stat and Verse was still getting pressure on the quarterback. With that said, he could diversify his pass rush arsenal. Verse’s 64.7 percent bull rush rate and 69.1 percent power move rate led the NFL.

James Foster/Wide Left

James Foster from the Wide Left Substack recently charted edge rushers and their pass rush moves. Said Foster on Verse,

“In 2024, Verse had the most power pressures (47) and the highest power rate (69.1%) of any of the 121 seasons in my database. He’s the epitome of a one-dimensional (complementary) pass rusher, who can rely on one dominant go-to move for the bulk of his production. Verse led NFL edge rushers in total pressures (89) and ranked sixth in pass-rush win rate (19.7%), so his lack of a diverse moveset isn’t holding him back too much, but adding a more dependable stab-chop could elevate his game further. Verse is also a good reminder of the translatability of power from college to the NFL.”

This isn’t a knock on Verse as he was also a power-rush player at Florida State. He’s always had the ability to turn speed to power and affect the pocket. His strength is the foundation of his game and at times it can be devastating for offensive tackles to handle. At the same time, he seems to have an over-reliance on turning speed to power which is partially why his sack production dropped over the second half of the season.

Verse is never going to be a Von Miller or Nik Bonnito style edge rusher who build their games around their speed. He’s built much more like Will Anderson who also builds his game around power. However, while Anderson also build his game around power, he does incorporate speed moves into his arsenal. Anderson’s speed-move rate was at 26.2 percent to Verse’s 20.6 percent.

James Foster/Wide Left

That evolution isn’t just important for Verse, but the Rams’ overall pass rush as well. Looking at the chart above, Byron Young ranked sixth in power-rush rate last season at 60 percent. Depending on how teams want to develop their pass rush plans, some will tend to have a power rusher and speed rusher to keep offenses off balance. The Houston Texans do this with Anderson and Danielle Hunter. Hunter’s speed-move rate is at 53.4 percent while Anderson is more of a power-rusher. The same can be said about Jonathon Cooper and Nik Bonnito with the Denver Broncos.

Contrarily, both TJ Watt and Alex Highsmith each rely on their speed for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Josh Allen and Travon Walker are the same for the Jacksonville Jaguars from a power standpoint.

This isn’t to say that Verse or Young need to completely reinvent their games. With Verse and Young having the ability to collapse the pocket from the outside, forcing the quarterback to step up. That tends to work to the Rams’ strength as Kobie Turner and Braden Fiske are disruptors inside. Still, the Rams can use some diversity in their pass rush off the edge.

It’s a reason why the Rams may have targeted Josaiah Stewart in the third round. Stewart is able to win with his speed and win inside which complements Verse and Young’s weaknesses. He brings much more of a finesse, speed move arsenal than brute strength.

Verse proved last season that he is someone that the Rams can build the defense around moving forward. After losing Aaron Donald to retirement, Verse became the new face of the defense. Still, the Rams will be expecting Verse to continue developing and build on his strong rookie season. To do that, he’ll need to diversify his pass rush toolbox.