Giff Smith has had an immediate impact on the Rams’ defensive line, ushering in a new attitude for the men up front. Having such young minds to mold, Smith praised rookies Jared Verse and Braden Fiske in an interview with FOX Sports, comparing them to Pro Bowlers that Smith has worked with in the past.
Verse, a vaunted edge rusher, is expected to be the Robin to Byron Young’s Batman. Smith, who worked with the Los Angeles Chargers for the past several years, stated about Verse that “he reminds me a lot of Joey [Bosa]. From the standpoint of he’s a true, tunnel-vision attack and can win the one-on-ones. He has the ability to close out games, and those guys are rare.”
Bosa has 67 career sacks and has been selected to four Pro Bowls.
When discussing Fiske’s ability on the inside, Smith compared him to another “manimal” in Kyle Williams. Williams, who played 13 years in the NFL, was selected to six Pro Bowls and has a second-team All-Pro selection under his belt.
Smith said of Fiske, “he’s very similar to Kyle Williams, but a better athlete. They are both very similar. You’re going to get four quarters of non-stop ball. He’s a first rounder we got in the second round.”
Smith coached Williams for three seasons, from 2010 to 2012. During that time, Williams put up career highs in tackles and tackles for loss.
