NFL Draft Profile: Jared Verse, Defensive Lineman, Florida State Seminoles
#5
Pos: iDL
Ht: 6030
Wt: 246
Hand: 968
Arm: 3268
Wing: 7938
40: 4.80
DOB: 11/4/2000
Hometown: Berqick, PA
High School: Central Columbia
Eligibility: 2023
Jared Verse Florida State Seminoles
One Liner:
Verse possesses an intriguing combination of speed and power that dominated the FCS level, but he needs to continue strengthening his anchor in run defense and building his pass rush arsenal.
Evaluation:
While it’s worth questioning the level of competition Verse faced in 2021, 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 Albany transfer 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 convert 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 gap. 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. We’ll see if his bull rushes, aggressive hands, and ability to win the tackle’s inside shoulder translate to the ACC.
Grade:
1st Round
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 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. He redshirted in 2019 and preserved his status as a freshman the following season because of COVID-19, making him a redshirt sophomore in 2022. While at Albany, Verse was the 2021 Colonial Athletic Association Conference Defensive Rookie of the Year, a 2021 FCS Freshman All-American, and earned 2021 Second-Team All-Colonial Athletic Association honors.
