Jared Verse, Braden Fiske earn huge props for Rams rookie seasons
01/24/2025 07:07 PM
When the Los Angeles Rams decided to draft Jared Verse and Braden Fiske out of Florida State with their first two picks in the 2024 NFL Draft, it was a very controversial move.
Sure, the duo played together in Tallahassee and theoretically could translate that two-man game to the NFL level, but after securing a steal in Verse at pick 19, Les Snead actually had to trade pretty significant capital to trade up for Fiske, with no guarantee that he would live up to that investment.
Fast forward to January of 2025, and the flowers are flooding in, with both Rams rookies earning all sorts of honors for their incredible maiden voyage through the NFL.
Discussing the Rams’ rookie class in his exit interview with the assembled media, Sean McVay noted how proud he is of LA’s rookie class, as they have unquestionably lived up to expectations.
“Congratulations to those guys, well-deserved. Jordan Whittington got recognized as a kick returner. That’s a really fun rookie class. I think the first thing that stood out about those guys when you watch the film is the toughness, the edge and the competitive stamina that both of those guys had. You dive into their background, and you hear about how they worked, how they loved the process, and how they positively poured into one another. That was illustrated immediately when they came in. I think that’s why you didn’t see those guys hit the rookie wall. They got better as the season went on,” McVay told Rams reporters.
“They’re grown men. You hear me throw that term around, but that’s what we’re looking for. We’re looking for men. They were that. They’re going to be really vital pieces for us moving forward. They just have a look in their eye that when you challenge them, they respond the right ways. I’m really proud of those two guys. I’m proud of that rookie class as a whole, but Jared and Braden, they push one another in a good way. When you look at what we needed to do to be able to get both of those guys with our first two picks, they sure delivered. I think the best thing about it is neither one of those guys… I think they’re proud, but they’re not going to be content. They’re going to continue to challenge themselves moving forward, and I’m going to be on them.”
Fortunately for McVay, he is correct, as not only did the Rams’ rookie duo plus Whittington make it onto the All-Rookie team, but Verse and Fiske are actually finalists for the Rookie of the Year award, with the former the heavy favorite to win the award. And the best part? In a few weeks, Snead will get to do it all again, with Verse, Fiske, and company becoming the OGs, just like Byron Young and Kobie Turner before them. Buckle up, LA fans; this is going to be an incredibly fun run.
The post Jared Verse, Braden Fiske earn huge props for Rams rookie seasons appeared first on ClutchPoints.
