The Los Angeles Rams are only three games into the 2024 season but it’s abundantly clear that Jared Verse and Braden Fiske are going to be cornerstone players for a long time. There was a lot of hype and high expectations for both former Seminoles when they were drafted with the Rams’ top two picks and they’ve been as good as advertised thus far.
Despite not playing in the preseason and even though they were thrown to the fire as Day 1 starters, Verse and Fiske have stepped up to the plate. The stats show they’ve been two of the best defensive rookies in the NFL through three weeks.
According to Next Gen Stats, Verse and Fiske are first and second among all rookies in total pressures. Fiske leads with 12 pressures, while Verse has 11. Pro Football Focus tallied their pressures a little bit differently – Verse leads with 13 and Fiske has 11 – but the point still stands: they’ve been outstanding as pass rushers.
The Rams' top two picks in the 2024 NFL Draft rank first and second among rookies in pressures through the first three weeks of the season.
🥇 Braden Fiske, @RamsNFL (12)
🥈 Jared Verse, @RamsNFL (11)
🥉 Laiatu Latu, @Colts (10) pic.twitter.com/1d82ctgAWe— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) September 24, 2024
They’re a big reason the Rams racked up 27 pressures against the 49ers on Sunday, a massive number for a team that just lost Aaron Donald in March. Les Snead drafted them to help reshape the offense without No. 99 and there’s no question they’ve done just that.
It’s not just the pass rush where they’re making an impact, either. According to PFF, Verse is second among all rookies with six total stops and Verse is tied for third with five. Stops are quantified as “tackles that constitute a ‘failure’ for the offense,” so they’re important for defenders to make.
Through three weeks, Verse is the favorite to win Defensive Rookie of the Year and Fiske is inching up the board, now with the 10th-best odds to take home the award, according to BetMGM.
As long as both of them stay healthy, along with Byron Young and Kobie Turner, the Rams’ defensive front should be one of the best in football for years to come.
