There were concerns surrounding Jared Verse’s ceiling when he fell to the Los Angeles Rams in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Verse spent two years at Albany before transferring to Florida State and was age 23 by the time he made the transition to the professional level.
The self-fulfilling narrative that Verse was NFL ready with a questionable ceiling seemed to hold true when he went on to win the league’s Defensive Rookie of the Year honors and then took a step back in year two.
Advertisement
However, I’m here to tell you today that there is still room for Verse to take a step forward in 2026. He has the potential to enter the Myles Garrett conversation for the league’s best EDGE defender. If he can improve even a little, he will be squarely in the debate for Defensive Player of the Year acknowledgements in his third season.
Verse is already top 10 in the betting odds for the award according to FanDuel:
2026 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Odds (FanDuel) table { width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin: 20px 0; } th, td { padding: 12px; text-align: left; border-bottom: 1px solid #ddd; } th { background-color: #1a1a1a; color: white; } tr:hover { background-color: #f5f5f5; } .favorite { font-weight: bold; color: #0066cc; } .honorable { font-style: italic; color: #555; } caption { font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: left; } .note { font-size: 0.9em; color: #666; margin-top: 15px; }
Rank
Player
Team
Position
Odds
Implied Probability (approx.)
1
Myles Garrett
Cleveland Browns
Edge
+600
~14.3%
2
Will Anderson Jr.
Houston Texans
Edge
+800
~11.1%
3
Aidan Hutchinson
Detroit Lions
Edge
+1100
~8.3%
4
Micah Parsons
Dallas Cowboys
LB/Edge
+1000 to +1200
~7.7–9.1%
5
Maxx Crosby
Las Vegas Raiders
Edge
+800 to +1200
~7.7–11.1%
6
T.J. Watt
Pittsburgh Steelers
Edge
+1400 to +2000
~4.8–6.7%
7
Nik Bonitto
Denver Broncos
Edge
+1500 to +2500
~3.8–6.3%
8
Nick Bosa
San Francisco 49ers
Edge
+1200 to +3000
~3.2–7.7%
9
Brian Burns
New York Giants
Edge
+2500 to +3500
~2.8–3.8%
10
Jared Verse
Los Angeles Rams
Edge
+2500 to +3500
~2.8–3.8%
Honorable Mentions / Longer Shots
Note: Early preseason futures compiled from FanDuel and cross-market reports (May 2026). Corrected: Trey Hendrickson signed a 4-year, $112M deal with the Baltimore Ravens in March 2026 after leaving the Bengals. Odds will fluctuate heavily during training camp and the season based on performance, health, and team success. Always check FanDuel directly for the latest lines. Betting involves risk—gamble responsibly.
Advertisement
A rising tide lifts all boats
The first reason to be optimistic about Verse is that (1) the DPOY often comes from one of the league’s best overall units, and (2) broad improvement on the Rams’ defense should also elevate Verse’s individual production.
The obvious weak link on the LA defense last year was the coverage unit. Coverage and pass rush work together in tandem. The arrival of Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson should give the front seven more time to affect quarterbacks and get home more often in 2026. It says a lot that Verse is listed in the DPOY odds and McDuffie is not. Vegas is betting on the tide rising of coverage bolstering the pass rushing production for players like Verse.
Where Verse can improve
While Verse’s total pressures were boosted by the fact LA reached the NFC Championship game resulting in more pass rushing opportunities, he still finished second in the NFL with 100 pressures behind Will Anderson (102). Only four players reached the century mark in 2025. Aidan Hutchinson and Josh Hines-Allen were the others, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF).
Advertisement
That puts Verse squarely in the conversation for the league’s most productive defensive linemen. His teammates Byron Young (12th, 74), Kobie Turner (14th, 69), and Braden Fiske (45th, 50) also finished towards the top of the list. There are a lot of mouths to feed on the Rams defensive line, though Verse is clearly the best of the bunch.
And this group accomplished that relentless level of production despite porous coverage on the back end. They will have more time to generate additional pressure and should have more opportunities to convert these to sacks.
Verse is proof that award voters care less about sacks than they used to, as evidenced by the fact he was DROY with only eight sacks. Still, not all have adopted this modern mindset and traditional stats still carry a lot of weight. In order to bring home the hardware, he needs to finish with double digit sacks.
But pass rush isn’t the only area where Verse can take a step forward. His run defense performance dropped notably from year one to two. After finishing with an 81.0 PFF run grade as a rookie, his mark dropped to 62.4 in 2025.
Advertisement
Verse has also missed an astonishing 39 tackles (24.1% of attempts) through two seasons. He can elevate the defense by being more sure-handed, although that can be said about several of the Rams’ core building blocks on the same side of the ball.
The sky is the limit for Jared Verse. Even slight improvement could elevate his name for consideration among the NFL’s elite at his position and for DPOY honors.
Will he make good on this promise in 2026?
How Jared Verse can go from ‘great’ to ‘elite’ Top World News Today.
Hence then, the article about how jared verse can go from great to elite was published today ( ) and is available on TOP world News today ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( How Jared Verse can go from ‘great’ to ‘elite’ )
Also on site :
- Americans are feeling inflation’s pinch into the holiday weekend. Here’s where prices are rising the most
- Masculinity Satire Australian Animated Series ‘Finally, a Show About Men!’ Bows on YouTube (EXCLUSIVE)
- Amazon’s 'Very Soft' and 'Breathable' Matching Cotton Lounge Set Is Just $10, and It Comes in 15 Styles