Jared Verse arrived at the luxurious beachside home serving as the Los Angeles Rams’ temporary base for the NFL draft, only to be handed a phone right away. He was surprised to find out it was his former Florida State teammate, Braden Fiske, the Rams’ second-round pick, on the line.
“I’m like, ‘Oh, who is it?'” Verse said, smiling. “Fiske? No way!” “How’s it going, J?” replied Fiske, visibly emotional after the reunion.
The Rams traded up in the second round to bring together Verse and Fiske, former teammates who shared a strong bond and chemistry during their time at Florida State.
“That was the last thing I was expecting,” Fiske said. “I swear we were just talking about that. What if me and Jared went to the same team? And sure enough, it happened. I just can’t believe it happened.”
General manager Les Snead is optimistic about Verse and Fiske becoming the foundation of a new defense, especially with Aaron Donald’s retirement.
He described their phone call as a very emotional and cool moment, one of the highlights of his career.
After seven years without a first-round pick, the Rams focused on building their future in this draft by selecting top prospects. This was the first time since 2014 that they had two top-40 picks and only the second time since 2015 that they had four top-100 picks.
While drafting teammates was a fortunate coincidence, the Rams’ main goal was to address the team’s most pressing needs, as highlighted by coach Sean McVay.
With their first two picks, they aimed to bolster their pass rush and fill the gap left by Donald’s departure. This strategic move allowed them to choose the best available players with their remaining picks.
