Los Angeles Rams rookie Linebacker Jared Verse won a prestigious award on Tuesday afternoon. He was named the Defensive Rookie of the Year by the Pro Football Writers of America. It capped off a tremendous regular season and postseason run for the Rams rookie. He wreaked havoc against the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Divisional Round. He had four tackles including two sacks in the 28-22 loss.
Verse was drafted No. 19 overall by the Los Angeles Rams out of Florida State. He had a strong regular season with 66 total tackles and 4.5 sacks. He is also a sizable favorite to be named the Defensive Rookie of the Year. Will he end up winning the award next month?
Los Angeles Rams Season Summary
2024 PFWA Rookie Awards Recap:
➖ Verse is second DROY in franchise history, joining Aaron Donald (2014)
➖ Led the NFL in All-Rookie selections (3)— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) January 21, 2025
The Rams saw their season end Sunday on the road against the Philadelphia Eagles. LA’s defense did a good job against the pass, assisted by Verse’s performance, but struggled to contain Running Back Saquon Barkley and the ground game. He rushed for 205 yards with a pair of touchdowns.
Los Angeles did not have a good defense in the regular season and played much better during the NFL Playoffs. They lapped the field with 16 sacks in their two playoff games. The defense tied an NFL record with nine sacks in the Wild Card Round against the Minnesota Vikings. They added seven sacks against the Eagles in the Divisional Round. Los Angeles had the most sacks in a two-game span in postseason history.
Final Thoughts
Verse proved to the Los Angeles Rams he is a piece they can build around for years to come. The team must continue improving the defense in the offseason and during the NFL Draft and offseason as the unit struggled during the regular season. The defense took a step forward in the postseason and will look to build upon that next season.
