There was never going to be a perfect trade package for Myles Garrett, whose production and overall impact on the game went far beyond the box score. GM Andrew Berry and the Cleveland Browns definitely could have let things play out and held out for more in exchange for the best player in franchise history.
At the end of the day, their decision to send Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams for a package that included just one first-round pick spoke volumes about the one asset that changed the entire equation — 25-year-old edge defender Jared Verse.
In Verse, the Browns acquired an ascending young player who fits their current youth movement. Per Seth Walder of ESPN, he also ranks among the NFL’s top all-around edge players at both rushing the passer and stuffing the run.
“Critical to this trade grade is the evaluation of Verse, who might go overlooked in this deal but absolutely should not. Verse -- who won Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2025 -- has 12.0 sacks and a 15.3% pass rush win rate at edge (62nd percentile) over his two seasons in the league. That pass rushing undersells his impact, though, because he is one of the best run-stopping edges in the league. In fact, he ranks second in run stop win rate at edge behind only Maxx Crosby in that span.”
Jared Verse’s work as a run defender could help the Browns solve a nagging problem
Verse’s work as a true edge-setter against the rush may have been what tipped the scales for Cleveland in Monday's bombshell trade.
The Browns have fielded an elite defense for years, but they’ve been leaky at times against the run, finishing 16th during the 2025 season. And while Garrett routinely dropped opposing running backs behind the line of scrimmage on his way to a staggering 55 tackles for loss over his final two years in Cleveland, he just as often left the Browns vulnerable after taking a few too many steps upfield while hunting sacks.
The most intriguing part about Verse is that he’s only entering his third year as a pro. He’s already racked up two Pro Bowl nods and won Defensive Rookie of the Year, yet he’s still developing as an all-around edge defender.
He’s not yet close to being on the same tier as Garrett, but no one is. Garrett’s 11.0 percent missed tackle rate is absolutely absurd. PFF charted him for only two missed tackles during the entire 2025 season. Verse missed 18 tackles in 2025 and has a missed tackle rate of 24.1 percent.
But as a true run stuffer, Verse was the more efficient of the two last season. Per ESPN’s edge run stop win rate metric, Verse scored 81 wins in 233 plays, winning 35 percent of the time for the second-best rating in the NFL. Garrett finished somewhere outside of ESPN’s top 10, though, the constant double teams he faced likely played a major role in that.
Verse could see similar attention in Cleveland, as the likes of Alex Wright and Isaiah McGuire don’t exactly keep opposing offensive coordinators up at night. The Browns are banking on Verse being that type of game-wrecker this season. If he can show the full repertoire, cut down on missed tackles, and continue his unique analytical trends against the rush, this Browns defense still has enough talent to remain among the NFL’s elite in 2026 and beyond.
Add us as a preferred source on Google