Jared Verse makes effective debut against Lions, earns first sack

According to Next Gen Stats, Verse averaged 3.99 yards of distance from the quarterback on the throw or sack, which allowed him to consistently win reps. He was the closest pass rusher to the quarterback for both teams on every dropback.

He was also productive against the run, with a solo tackle and two assists. On the first snap of his NFL career, Verse sent his shoulder through David Montgomery to complete a brutal strike that allowed Montgomery to gain just two yards as Christian Rozeboom wrapped his ankles.

“From the first play, I think you felt his presence as far as him being heavy on contact, coming off blocks (and) helping make plays,” defensive coordinator Chris Shula said.

Even when the Lions were running the ball well, Verse was invading the backfield. Detroit’s overtime winning streak featured seven running plays — Verse was in the backfield on four of them and made a huge hit short of the first-down marker on another. He was a constant presence against one of the NFL’s most respected veteran tackles, and that impact was felt all along the Rams’ defensive line.

“I think everybody can see that (Verse) is an electric player,” Kobie Turner said. “When he hits people, you kind of feel his presence, his energy… It’s contagious, guys feed off of it.”

In contrast, sophomore star Byron Young said Verse’s energy motivates him to grow and compete every day.

The underlying metrics and eye test were on Verse’s side in Week 1. Facing what Pro Football Focus ranked as the best offensive line in football, the rookie succeeded in every facet of his job.

In one of the youngest pass rush units in the NFL, it was encouraging to see Verse look like a seasoned veteran. His moves were varied, his successes frequent, and this was just the beginning. Verse still has a lot to prove.

“There’s a lot of things I have to work through,” Verse said. “(But) I feel like I’ve taken a good first step.”