How Jared Verse can go from ‘great’ to ‘elite’

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JANUARY 18: Jared Verse #8 of the Los Angeles Rams looks on before the game against the Chicago Bears in the NFC Divisional Playoffs at Soldier Field on January 18, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images There were concerns surrounding Jared Verse’s ceiling when he fell to the Los Angeles Rams in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Verse spent two years at Albany before transferring to Florida State and was age 23 by the time he made the transition to the professional level.

The self-fulfilling narrative that Verse was NFL ready with a questionable ceiling seemed to hold true when he went on to win the league’s Defensive Rookie of the Year honors and then took a step back in year two. However, I’m here to tell you today that there is still room for Verse to take a step forward in 2026. He has the potential to enter the Myles Garrett conversation for the league’s best EDGE defender.

If he can improve even a little, he will be squarely in the debate for Defensive Player of the Year acknowledgements in his third season. Verse is already top 10 in the betting odds for the award according to FanDuel: 2026 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Odds (FanDuel) table { width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin: 20px 0; } th, td { padding: 12px; text-align: left; border-bottom: 1px solid #ddd; } th { background-color: #1a1a1a; color: white; } tr:hover { background-color: #f5f5f5; } . favorite { font-weight: bold; color: #0066cc; } .

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