The Cleveland Browns, nearly 10 years after taking Myles Garrett first overall in the 2017 NFL Draft, have parted with their defensive centerpiece and all-time franchise legend. News broke on Monday afternoon that Garrett would be heading to the NFC, joining the juggernaut Los Angeles Rams.
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— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 1, 2026
Bombshell: The Browns are finalizing a trade that will send two-time Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams, per @rapsheet, @TomPelissero and me.
In exchange for Garrett, the Rams are expected to send Pro-Bowl edge Jared Verse, a 2027… pic.twitter.com/vHVquJBcYl
I suppose this trade isn't the most surprising thing ever, as the Browns have been among the worst teams in the NFL for years now and simply have not maximized the window that Garrett has provided them with his high level of play. In 2025, Garrett broke the all-time single-season sack record, racking up 23 sacks.
He also added 33 tackles for loss and 39 quarterback hits in a season that should also cement his future Hall of Fame status. Now that Garrett is heading to Los Angeles, how does the Browns' depth chart look along the defensive line?
Updated Cleveland Browns defensive line depth chart following the Myles Garrett trade
The Browns defensive line is now going to look a lot different without Garrett in the picture. The future Hall of Famer made everything work, and if the Browns end up using four down linemen, as they have previously, things could look like this:
Jared Verse, Mason Graham, Maliek Collins, Alex Wright
Primary backups at the defensive end spots in particular could end up being Isaiah McGuire and Julian Okwara. In 2025, McGuire started eight games for the Browns, racking up two sacks, 30 tackles, eight tackles for loss, and six quarterback hits.
Okwara could also factor into the rotation. After being cut last August, the Browns brought him back in free agency in March. Alex Wright, Mason Graham, and Maliek Collins are now the featured players in this room.
Graham's strong rookie season back in 2025 surely helped Garrett enjoy the best season of his career. The former Michigan standout had 49 total tackles, seven tackles for loss, and four quarterback hits in 17 games.
Both Wright and Collins also had solidly productive seasons for the Browns as well, but with Jared Verse now coming to the Browns in this trade, he'll factor in as an outside rusher, so someone like Okwara could now see his potential role totally disappear.
The defensive line, even without Garrett, could still be formidable. Verse is a high-end player, who, in two years with the Rams, has racked up 12 sacks, 22 tackles for loss, and 45 quarterback hits. He's a two-time Pro Bowler and is someone the Browns are likely going to invest in for the long-term.
The team did get a bit younger along the defensive line, which isn't a bad thing, and with more draft pick compensation coming back in this deal, this forward-thinking move might sting right now, but should pay off in the long term.
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