Round 1 (via Carolina): Jared Verse, EDGE, Florida State
Even after a season in which the Chicago Bears failed to get to the quarterback with any consistency, GM Ryan Poles still failed to address the need for an edge rusher in the draft. He did, however, sign Yannick Ngakoue this summer to a one-year deal to at least bring some life into the pass rush.
The likelihood if Ngakoue being a member of Chicago Bears next year is low, so drafting an edge needs to be a high priority. That’s where I have them selecting the impressive defensive end/EDGE rusher, Jared Verse from Florida State. We’ll likely see more national hype for Verse in the coming weeks, especially if FSU continues to win games.
Jared Verse is ELITE🏹
— PFF College (@PFF_College) September 4, 2023
Verse is a massive 6 foot 4, 251 pounds at the outside linebacker position, where he’s a terror for opposing quarterbacks. Against LSU a few weeks ago, Verse proved why he’s a top tier prospect as he was in the backfield all night against the Tigers.
Verse is a fast, explosive rusher who seems to just explode off the line of scrimmage every snap. His motor will be valued at the next level. In 2022, he racked up 9 sacks and 17 tackles for loss over the course of 12 games for the Seminoles, putting himself on the map. He spent his first two seasons dominating the CAA for the Albany Great Danes, totaling 13.5 sacks over that time span.
He will need to add a little bit of weight when he does indeed get drafted to match the elite size that the NFL offers at the tackle position, but other than that I don’t see any glaring issues with Verse. Hopefully the Panthers are bad enough so he can fall to Chicago, as I believe he’d be a great fit for this defense.
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