It was tough for Cleveland Browns fans to see Myles Garrett get traded, for obvious reasons. That aside, Cleveland did get multiple draft picks back in that deal with the Los Angeles Rams, and young edge defender Jared Verse should be one of Cleveland's cornerstones moving forward.
Verse was the Defensive Rookie of the Year for the 2024 season with the Rams, and he was one of the top defensive players for Los Angeles again last season. Verse is the type of player who could have a lasting impact in a number of ways for the Browns this coming season and in years ahead.
To those points, it was encouraging how the head coach of Cleveland's Week 1 opponent, Liam Coen, had such praise for the new Brown.
"He's got a relentless motor," Coen said. "He's wiry in his physicality. Like he's strong, he's rocked up and all that, and he can run down your face. But he's rangy, wiry, he's slippery in ways. Like he'll be in a 9 technique and then come crashing down when nobody can see it, like on the snap of the ball. It's hard. He's just crafty. You can tell that he understands the game of football.
He definitely makes a lot of different things challenging, whether it's in pass protection or in the run game that you have to prepare for. Obviously, I have a lot of respect for him for what he was able to do to us in preparation leading up to our game. I have a lot of respect for him. I know that he's taken on some of that mindset there in Cleveland to kind of let it rip and him be a guy up front that really leads the way."
Jared Verse's complete skill set makes him much more than a Myles Garrett replacement
Some Browns fans may not be too familiar with Verse yet, but Sunday could be quite the introduction. Verse made plenty of things happen during his time with Los Angeles throughout his first NFL season.
He was named the league's top defensive rookie for the 2024 season with 4.5 sacks, a combined 66 tackles, and 18 quarterback hits. He added two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and two pass breakups.
Verse took another step in 2025 en route to tallying 7.5 sacks, 58 combined tackles, and 27 quarterback hits. He tacked on three forced fumbles in 2025 and also matched his tackle-for-loss total for the 2024 season with 11.
As Coen highlighted, Verse has proven to be a crucial factor against both the pass and the run with his frame, quickness and high football IQ. And as he gains more experience and polish, Verse should continue to get better with his pass-rushing ability.
Verse is a grinder who has consistently made quarterbacks feel him, and for the Browns, they'll be hoping the pressure he exerts in opposing backfields lends itself to more takedowns. He has regularly been among the league leaders in pressures — he had 80 last regular season, per Ryan Smith of Pro Football Focus. Heading into Year 3, there's plenty of reason to believe Verse's hammering away in that area leads to a noticeable uptick in sacks.
In addition to his on-field skill set, Verse has demonstrated how he seems to be fully bought-in to what the Browns are trying to do since his arrival, and it's apparent he wants to be a key part of the solution. As Browns fans know, this Cleveland team is not going to be fixed overnight.
Despite that realization, it's nice to know a new guy such as Verse is going to give it his all to continue to get better on the field — as well as being a leader off of it. That's refreshing, especially given how Verse's first two years were played on a Rams squad that was right in the thick of things and involved in multiple playoff games.
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