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FSU football star Jared Verse draws comparison to 2023 NFL Draft No. 3 overall pick
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- FSU football star Jared Verse draws comparison to 2023 NFL Draft No. 3 overall pick
Jared Verse believes in himself. After his performance at the NFL Combine for the 2024 NFL Draft, he's making believers in others, too.
At his pre-combine press conference Wednesday, Verse threw out his name for the first overall pick, which is widely believed to be USC quarterback Caleb Williams .
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"I think the best players should be picked first," Verse said to the media . "I don't think there's anything wrong with it, so the best player should be picked first. ... I definitely think I should be considered."
Verse went through with his measurements and did on-field drills on Thursday, likely furthering his NFL Draft stock.
The former Albany and turned Florida State football star measured at 6-foot-3 ⅞ inches, 254 pounds. His hands were measured at 9 ⅞ inches with an arm span of 33 ½ inches and a wing span of 79 ½ inches.
To Verse's point, he matches up well with a former No. 3 overall pick from the 2023 draft, as pointed out by NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah.
Will Anderson, of Alabama , was selected with the No. 3 overall pick by the Houston Texas, one pick after the Texans selected quarterback Will Stroud from Ohio State. Stroud and Anderson led Houston to the playoffs in their rookie seasons.
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The No. 1 overall pick in the draft was Alabama quarterback Bryce Young . Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson went No. 4.
The top 3 picks this season have been widely predicted to be quarterbacks Williams (USC), Jayden Daniels ( LSU ) and Drake Maye (UNC).
In 2023, Verse finished with 41 tackles, including 12.5 for loss, nine sacks, 35 QB hurries and an overall Pro Football Focus grade of 83.0.
Another FSU standout: Braden Fiske having a big day at the NFL Combine, boosting draft stock
Verse tested well Thursday. He recorded a 35-inch vertical jump, which ranked in the 93rd percentile for edge defenders and his 10'7 broad jump ranked in the 71st percentile.
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He followed that up with an official 40-yard dash time of 4.58 seconds, which falls into the 91st percentile.
Verse rounded out his day with a time of 7.31 seconds in the 3-cone drill and 4.44 seconds in the 20-yard shuttle. He finished his stay at the combine Friday with a monster 31 reps on the bench press (225-pounds).
Reach Ehsan Kassim at ekassim@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter at @Ehsan_Kassim. You can also follow our coverage on Facebook (NoleSports), Instagram (tlhnolesports) and YouTube channel (NoleSportsTD).
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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Jared Verse compared to Will Anderson at NFL Combine
