If the Cleveland Browns were ever going to trade Myles Garrett, now was the time. They were only going to do it for a king's ransom, and while some fans might not agree, they got a pretty decent return for his services on June 1.
Clearly, the Browns valued Jared Verse at the level of a first-round pick. That essentially means the Browns got two first-round picks along with future second- and third-round selections in exchange for a player now entering his 30s. Garrett obviously isn't your average 30-year-old, but the business side of Monday's bombshell deal made sense for the timelines of both the Browns and Rams.
Verse's numbers certainly justify the hype and the steep valuation. He's been one of the most promising pass rushers in the game since he ran away with Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2024.
However, as physically gifted as he is, and as much as Browns fans should feel excited about his potential, numbers are misleading at times. That's why he might be due for some regression now that he's back home in Ohio.
Jared Verse's eye-popping numbers come with one clear warning sign
Per Pro Football Focus, Verse ranks 18th in pressure rate (11.2 percent) and 13th in QB hits (45) since 2024. Last year alone, he was sixth in pressures (80), tied for sixth in run stops (35), tied for fourth in forced fumbles (3), and tied for second in QB hits (20). He also ranks third in total pressures (99) since he entered the league, trailing only Garrett (109) and Micah Parsons (119).
Those numbers are remarkable — and he's just getting started. That said, he hasn't had 11 sets of eyes on him on every drop-back, nor has he forced opposing offensive coordinators to game plan exclusively to neutralize him. He hasn't had to deal with double teams and chip blocks on almost every single snap.
Also, with all due respect to Alex Wright and Isaiah McGuire, they're not Byron Young, Verse's former sidekick with the Rams. Verse will now be the focal point in Cleveland, and he might find the sledding much tougher in Year 1.
Verse will go from playing for a Super Bowl-contending team that's usually playing ahead to a team with a long history of playing from behind and trailing by double digits. Will he show the same motor down 20? Will he show enough pride to make sure the team isn't down 20 to begin with?
There weren't many young pass rushers who should have made the Browns even consider trading Myles Garrett. Verse was on that short list.
That said, Browns fans should be tempering their expectations, rather than dreaming big over Verse's eye-popping stats over his first two years in the league. He could be a superstar in Cleveland (and hopefully he will). The Browns still have a strong defense, and he fits their timeline.
Even so, it might be a while before he finds his groove under Mike Rutenberg's tutelage, and expecting him to be Myles Garrett 2.0 will be setting him up to fail.
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