5 early defensive possibilities for the Vikings in the 2023 NFL Draft
By Luke Parrish
Jared Verse – EDGE (Florida State)
To make life easier on the secondary, the Vikings have to get after the quarterback at a higher clip than they have been this season. Minnesota has been one of the worst pass-rushing teams in the NFL this season by just about every metric despite having a ton of money tied into Danielle Hunter and Za’Darius Smith.
Jared Verse transferred to Florida State after dominating at Albany, and that dominance has continued. Now, Verse appears to be a first-round prospect at a premium position. In 11 games for the Seminoles this season, Verse racked up 7.5 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss.
Verse has done a little bit of everything at the college level. He has lined up as a standing rusher and as a down lineman with success. He has made a name for himself with upper-body strength and a devastating inside rush that has stunned opposing tackles all season.
The Vikings are going to need a lot of improvement off the edge if they want to be taken seriously defensively. With so many young faces in the secondary, the non-existent pass rush has made things that much more difficult. Whether it’s Jared Verse or someone else in the draft, Minnesota needs to add young legs to the mix.