Seahawks go for pass rush with No. 16 overall pick in The Athletic’s mock draft

Get well-versed on Jared Verse.

We’re two months out from the 2024 NFL Draft in Detroit, and mock drafts are here, there, and everywhere. By the end of this week there will be inevitably significant changes to all of these mocks based on combine performances/new medical information/player interviews. In the meantime, let’s see what The Athletic’s mock draft has in store for the Seattle Seahawks.

The general themes of Seahawks-related predictions have been quarterback (Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy, primarily), offensive line (Washington’s Troy Fautanu), and the defensive line (Illinois’ Johnny Newton). How about an edge rusher? Alabama’s Dallas Turner and UCLA’s Laiatu Latu are both already taken in The Athletic’s mock, but the Seahawks have their eyes set on Florida State’s Jared Verse.

16. Seattle Seahawks: Jared Verse, DE, Florida State

First-time head coach Mike Macdonald inherits a defense that a year ago finished 28th in yards per rush and 20th in yards per pass attempt. In order to return to consistent contention in the NFC West, the Seahawks need to revitalize the side of the ball that once led them to back-to-back Super Bowls. Seattle acquired Leonard Williams from the Jets before the trade deadline, but it could still use a star edge rusher on the outside, and Verse fits the bill. In his last two years as a starter at FSU, Verse totaled 18 sacks and showed flashes of the terror he could become. — Kamrani

Standing 6’4 and 250 pounds, Verse is a two-time All-American who transferred from Albany to Florida State in 2022. After racking up 13.5 sacks with Albany in two seasons played—he was a redshirt in 2019—Verse notched 18 more sacks and 29.5 tackles for loss with the Seminoles. His career sack totals likely would’ve been higher in 2020 had Albany’s season not been shortened by the pandemic.

Here’s a fun highlight.

Here’s the scouting report summary from Windy City Gridiron’s Jacob Infante:

Out of the consensus top three edge rushers in the 2024 NFL Draft — himself, Dallas Turner and Laiatu Latu — Verse seems to be the safest pick of the bunch.

An above-average athlete who plays with a sharp understanding of the edge rusher position and a relentless motor, Verse seems like a Day 1 starter for an NFL team. Though I like him a bit better as a 3-4 stand-up outside linebacker, I have no concerns about him fitting into a base 4-3 scheme, either.

Turner arguably has a higher athletic ceiling, and Latu arguably has more consistent tape over the last two years. With Turner’s inconsistency and Latu’s injury history, though, Verse currently has the slight edge as my top-rated edge rusher in the 2024 draft. He’s a first-round pick and is worthy of a top-15 selection.

“Safest pick” triggers bad Aaron Curry memories for me, so I’m almost instinctively not wanting to pick Verse for that reason. Infante also notes that one of Verse’s weaknesses is “Anchor strength setting the edge against the run is a bit hit or miss,” but notes that he “Offers good situational awareness against the run, which improved over the course of his collegiate career.” I’d like to think run defense will be of major value for the Seahawks if/when looking for edge rushing help.

Even if not in the first round (which means not Verse), I think the Seahawks are going to keep looking for edge rushers. Boye Mafe and Uchenna Nwosu are the top two on the depth chart, but Derick Hall was not a pass-rushing factor as a rookie and Darrell Taylor is a restricted free agent whose per-snap productivity has never been consistent. Verse is talented and closed his senior season strongly, and it seems likely that he’ll be taken in the first round.

One thing to note is that with Pete Carroll gone, there’s an unknown element to how the Seahawks will approach this year’s draft and whether their scouting parameters will be adjusted under John Schneider and Mike Macdonald, so everyone and anyone may be on the table.

Watch this draft profile to familiarize yourself with Verse: