Verse Named Top Defensive Rookie
For the third time, a Los Angeles RAM player has been named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. The award this year went to linebacker Jared Verse, who also made the Pro Bowl this past season.
By Earl Heath | Contributing Sports Writer
For the third time, a Los Angeles RAM player has been named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. The award this year went to linebacker Jared Verse, who also made the Pro Bowl this past season. His teammate, defensive end Branden Fiske, finished third in the voting.
Verse is the first Rams player to win the award since three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year-winner Aaron Donald won the honor back in 2014. The first Rams player to win DROY was linebacker Isiah Robertson, back in 1971.
The Rams’ only Pro Bowl player, Verse, wasn’t expecting that news when the Rams reached out to inform him of his award
“I thought I was getting fired,” Verse stated at the time. “I took a nap after practice, and I got three calls from Coach McVay. I’m like, ‘I’m getting fired. Oh my God.’ I didn’t know what I did. I thought I was doing pretty well. He’s like, ‘You made the Pro Bowl.’ It was really surreal, though. It felt amazing. Relief was first, though, but it felt good.”
The Florida State standout was taken 19th overall in April’s draft.
Verse played in all 17 games, forcing two fumbles, recovering two more, and batting down a pair of passes. His ability to wreck plays didn’t go unnoticed by voters—he secured 427 points and 37 of 50 first-place votes, comfortably outpacing Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Quinyon Mitchell (239 points, 9 first-place votes). Rams defensive end Braden Fiske (96 points, 1 first-place vote) took third, proving that the Rams’ 2023 draft class wasn’t just good
His stats weren’t just impressive. They were dominant. Leading all rookies in quarterback hits (18), pressures (77), and hurries (56), Verse made sure his presence was felt on every down. His 11 tackles for loss ranked second among rookie defenders. The newcomer tallied 4.5 sacks, 66 tackles (11 for loss), two forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries. He returned a fumble 57 yards for a score during the Rams’ wild-card playoff win over the Minnesota Vikings.
Verse follows Kobie Turner, last year’s Defensive Rookie of the Year runner-up, who finished tied for second in 2023. Now, with Verse leading the charge and Turner anchoring the interior, the Rams’ defensive front is shaping up and quickly trying to fill the void of Donald’s retirement.
