Donedeal: a rookie defensive lineman have the first four year of his deal guaranteed by virtue of being a first round pick
Jared Verse, a rookie defensive lineman, was the last player from the Los Angeles Rams’ 2024 NFL Draft class to sign a rookie-scale contract.
Verse will have the first four years of his deal guaranteed by virtue of being a first-round pick. The Rams may elect to exercise his fifth-year team option. The deal included a signing bonus for him as well.
Brennan Jackson and Kamren Kinchens, two safety picks from the third and fifth rounds, respectively, were most recently signed by Los Angeles.
On the first day of the draft, Verse found himself in the hands of the Rams following an evening in which an astonishing 14 offensive players were selected. After Laiatu Latu, Byron Murphy II, and Dallas Turner were selected by the Indianapolis Colts, Seattle Seahawks, and Minnesota Vikings, respectively, Verse was the fourth defensive player selected.
Los Angeles chose to hold set and select Verse, who fills a critical need along their defensive line, despite early suggestions that they were attempting to place themselves in the top-10 to select an offensive player. A crucial need going into the draft was an edge rusher, and Los Angeles selected Verse, who is perhaps one of the top prospects due to his combination of size, power, and quickness.
Los Angeles realized it needed to add more skill up front when Aaron Donald announced his retirement almost a month prior to the draft, so they traded up in the second round to choose Verse with Braden Fiske, a teammate from Florida State. Together with Byron Young and Kobie Turner, the two are now anticipated to form the cornerstone of the pass rush.
Now that every member of their draft class has a contract, the team can concentrate on getting ready for the 2024 campaign. Given the veteran skill and coaching in the franchise, the Rams are still predicted to be a postseason contender despite their relative youth and inexperience.
Long-term and short-term, verse will be vital to the club, and it will be intriguing to watch which players from this draft class rise up to support him.
Tyler Davis is eager to play on the Rams with Braden Fiske and Jared Verse.
The Rams also selected defensive tackle Tyler Davis from Clemson in the sixth round of the draft because they recognized they wanted to add depth to their defensive line. Davis declared shortly after being drafted that he was eager to work with Verse and Fiske.
