NFL 2024 Mock Draft: Rams Pick Top Edge Rusher

The 2024 NFL Draft is still a year away, but some rebuilding teams may already be looking forward to it.

The Los Angeles Rams don't fancy themselves as one of those teams, but if the season starts out poorly they may start looking ahead. L.A. doesn't have the highest of expectations this season, and many projections have it near the bottom of he league. The silver lining with that, though, is that the Rams would get a top selection in the draft, something they would very much appreciate after not having a first-round pick for years.

The Rams have plenty of needs across the roster, so they have options if they do get a high pick. ESPN's latest mock draft offered a unique take on the subject, with the Rams taking Florida State edge rusher Jared Verse No. 5 overall.

"The Rams' roster is undergoing a youth movement in multiple spots, and they are in dire need of playmakers at edge rusher," ESPN writes. "Verse is a heavy-handed and active rusher, and after transferring from Albany, he quickly became the centerpiece of the Seminoles' 2022 defense. He created pressure on 17.1% of his defensive snaps and recorded nine sacks last season. Verse is a contender to be the first defensive player off the board."

As ESPN notes, Verse was a breakout star during his first season at Florida State and led the team with nine sacks. He was widely seen as a first-round pick in this year's draft, but made the surprising decision to return for another season with the Seminoles.

Edge rusher is certainly a need for the Rams, as the group is very thin even after adding rookie Byron Young this offseason. However, many projections have them addressing other needs first.

Of course, the sexy pick is to take a quarterback of the future. With USC quarterback Caleb Williams, the consensus No. 1 pick, playing in the same city, it seems like a match made in heaven. However, with the Rams picking No. 5 in this mock draft, they miss out on Williams as he instead goes No. 1 overall to the Arizona Cardinals. The Rams also miss out on the other top quarterback of the class, North Carolina's Drake Maye, who goes No. 3 overall to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Another popular suggestion is for L.A. to beef up its offensive line, which struggled greatly throughout last season. Notre Dame's Joe Alt, a popular target for L.A. in mock drafts, was still on the board in this scenario, but the Rams elected to go defense instead. Alt instead went two picks later to the Green Bay Packers at No. 7 overall.

The 2024 draft may be in back of the Rams' minds, but their main focus is undoubtedly on making the most of this season.

You can follow Jonathan Alfano on Twitter @JonAlfano_News

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