Jared Verse, EDGE Florida State: Offseason 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Verse was a recruit from Central Columbia High School in Lime Ridge, Pa. in the class of 2019

Florida State had two of the best defensive ends in the ACC last year in South Carolina transfer Keir Thomas and Georgia transfer Jermaine Johnson II. The Seminoles went back to the well this offseason, adding Albany’s Jared Verse in the transfer portal. The former FCS defender could create a lot of positive noise this fall and earn looks for the 2023 NFL Draft.

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Jared Verse, EDGE Florida State: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Redshirt sophomore defensive end from Dayton, Ohio or Berwick, Pa.

Background: Verse was a recruit from Central Columbia High School in Lime Ridge, Pa. in the class of 2019. He didn’t receive a star ranking or national ranking from any of the major recruiting outlets cited in this guide and didn’t receive a scholarship offer from an FBS school. Verse was a three-sport athlete in high school, participating in basketball, football, and track and field. As a high school senior, he caught 15 passes for 385 yards at tight end and tallied 14 tackles and three forced fumbles on defense. Verse won a state championship on the 4x400-meter relay team and also competed in the 100-meter, 200-meter, and 4x100-meter events. He was a three-time All-Pennsylvania Heartland Athletic Conference (PHAC) athlete. The redshirt sophomore has three sisters (Aneira, Miyah, and Soleil) and two brothers (Aaron and Terrance). Verse transferred from Albany to Florida State in January of 2022.

2021 Production: 11 games, 52 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, 36 pressures, 9.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 1 pass defensed

2020 Production: 4 games, 22 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 17 pressures, 4 sacks, 1 forced fumble

2019 Production: 0 games (Redshirt Year)

Injuries & Off-Field: Left games against North Dakota State and Villanova with injuries in 2021 but didn’t miss a game

Awards: 2021 Second-Team All-Colonial Athletic Association, 2021 FCS Freshman All-American, 2021 Colonial Athletic Association Conference Defensive Rookie of the Year

Pros: Special teams experience on punt return and field goal block units, experience rushing from two and three-point stances, hands pack a lot of pop, developing a swim move, choppy footwork and a sturdy base set him up for moves to the tackle’s inside or outside shoulder, strong burst off the line, converts speed to power easily, takes advantage of tackles who overset by taking the inside rush lane, excellent pursuit speed and closing burst, dominant when he wins the leverage battle, multiple instances of using leverage and power to bull rush the tackle back into the QB’s lap, high effort player who once forced a fumble chasing a RB screen on the opposite side of the field, separates from tackles to redirect and make plays in pursuit, terrific linear speed, beat Syracuse’s tackles around the edge several times, works to swat the tackle’s hands and then win the outside shoulder, instances of using a one-armed bull rush

Cons: Competition level so far, missed tackles have been an issue, committed five penalties in 2021, will need to become more comfortable rushing from a three-point stance, needs to read QB-RB exchanges quicker, too many missed opportunities because he’s late reacting to if the QB or RB has the ball, limited examples of true bend off the edge, some instances of getting sealed outside on run plays against Syracuse and North Dakota State, needs to be more disruptive and stouter at the point of attack against the run, pad level rises too high occasionally, doesn’t produce many PBUs

Overview: Verse is unofficially listed at 6'4", 248 lbs. He entered college at roughly 205 lbs. The incoming Florida State transfer applied pressure on 14.9% of his pass rush attempts in 2021. While it’s worth questioning the level of competition Verse faced this past season, two of his best performances came against North Dakota State and Syracuse. There was an incredible play against Syracuse where Sean Tucker ran about 55 yards for a touchdown. Verse ran with Tucker the whole way, closing the gap before barely missing a diving tackle around the five-yard line. Needless to say, he possesses a high motor, good acceleration, and excellent linear speed. Verse also packs plenty of power. He often put tackles on skates and walked them back to the quarterback. There are instances of Verse’s stiff punch knocking linemen back and opening the interior rush lane. The Central Columbia High School product often takes these wins to the tackle’s inside shoulder. Verse approaches linemen with active footwork that allows him to choose which shoulder to attack. Of course, he can also covert speed to power and just run right through the tackle. While at Florida State, Verse must improve as a run defender. There were too many moments where he was sealed and the running back ran through his space. Stronger linemen occasionally succeeded in knocking Verse off the line of scrimmage. For as good of an athlete as the Redshirt sophomore is, there are only limited examples of him bending around the edge. Verse also left production on the table as he often misread quarterback-running back exchanges.

Overall, Verse possesses an intriguing combination of speed and power that dominated the FCS level. We’ll see if his bull rushes, aggressive hands, and ability to win the tackle’s inside shoulder translate to the ACC. Verse could benefit from returning to school in 2023 to continue strengthening his anchor in run defense and building his pass rush arsenal.

Role & Scheme Fit: Outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme or defensive end in a 4-3 scheme if he gets to 255 lbs.

Round Projection: Early Fifth to Late Fifth

Player Comparison: N/A

Submitted: 08-24-22