Jared Verse arrived in Cleveland with the kind of buzz that can soften just about any blockbuster trade. The Browns made the move on June 1, and the package that came back - Verse, a 25-year-old two-time Pro Bowler, plus additional draft capital and a first-round pick in 2027 - gave fans something concrete to hold onto after losing Myles Garrett.
But two games into his Browns tenure, the on-field results haven’t matched the excitement.
Verse has posted a 4.3% pressure rate through two games, a number that sits in the bottom tier across football. He has only two total pressures and no sacks across his first 79 snaps in Cleveland. That’s a tough opening stretch for any edge rusher, especially one expected to help anchor the defense going forward.
Still, this is far from a full verdict. Verse has plenty of production on his résumé from his first two seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, and the early numbers in Cleveland are being shaped by a new setting that looks very different from what he had before.
The biggest difference is the role. Verse is learning life as the Browns’ top edge rusher, and that means he’s seeing the kind of attention Garrett drew for years.
He’s getting keyed on, even if not in the same all-consuming way Garrett did. ESPN Research noted that the Jaguars double-teamed Verse on 12.5% of his pass rushes and chipped him on 31.3% in Week 1.
Browns beat reporter Daniel Oyefusi said both figures were higher than his per-game averages with the Rams.
The Buccaneers also made things difficult on Sunday, with left tackle Tristan Wirfs helping to shut Verse down whenever the two matched up. Tampa Bay’s offense added another layer by leaning on quick, horizontal throws that slowed Verse and the Browns’ other edge rushers.
Verse has dealt with added attention before. As a former Defensive Rookie of the Year, he’s no stranger to chips and other obstacles after the snap.
In 2025, Sean McVay even called him into his office to show him a highlight reel of how much he influences games even when he isn’t finishing plays in the backfield. According to Nate Atkins of The Athletic, Verse was “straining, pressing and sometimes frustrated,” and that same feeling may be following him into this slower start in Cleveland.
The Browns’ situation around him hasn’t made life easier. Mason Graham has been their most impactful rusher so far, and he works inside.
Alex Wright’s season-ending training camp injury left a bigger hole than the Browns wanted, and Verse no longer has the kind of help he had in Los Angeles from Kobie Turner and Bryon Young. Isaiah McGuire has shown flashes, but the rest of the group - McGuire, Sam Williams, and Derek Barnett - doesn’t exactly scream relief for opposing offenses.
Verse was never asked to carry a Myles Garrett-level load with the Rams. Now, he’s being pushed toward that kind of responsibility in a Browns defense that is still taking shape.
That’s why the slow start matters, but it doesn’t have to define him. Verse is too talented to stay quiet for long, and his Rams career had its own ups and downs in sack and pressure production. He remains a raw player with just 12 career sacks.
So no, this isn’t the time to panic about the trade or pretend the Browns made a mistake. Verse isn’t Garrett, and Cleveland isn’t Los Angeles. The production should come, but patience is part of the deal right now.
In Other News...
Browns May Have Found Something Big In Their Rookie O-Line
The Browns win over Tampa Bay brought more than just a strong result on the scoreboard. It also offered another encouraging look at two rookies on the offensive line, with Spencer Fano and Austin Barber each holding up well in pass protection and helping Cleveland keep the pocket clean in a 23-19 victory. Fano, the clubs first-round pick in 2026, has settled in quickly, while Barber has made the most of his chance after stepping into a starting role because of an injury.
Todd Monken has already taken notice of how both young linemen have handled the early part of the season, and it is easy to see why. Through the first two games, they have given the Browns something rare for a developing front: dependable play from rookies in spots where mistakes are usually expected. The bigger question now is whether that early promise can hold up once opponents have more tape and the season starts to test depth as much as talent. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Rookie Is Forcing A Bigger Question About Clevelands Passing Game
Denzel Boston has already given the Browns something they can build around in the passing game, and hes done it by looking every bit like a receiver willing to win the hard way. As a rookie, he has been consistent and physical, carving out a role that draws a clear line to the kind of usage Todd Monken once found for Mike Evans in Tampa Bay. For a Cleveland offense still searching for a reliable rhythm through the air, that kind of early presence matters.
Boston has topped 50 receiving yards and found the end zone in each of his first two career games, which is enough to make him more than just a promising newcomer. It also nudges a bigger question into the foreground for the Browns: if a young pass catcher is already forcing defenses to account for him, how quickly can the rest of the quarterback situation catch up? [Read more 🡒]
Browns Defense Just Showed A Different Side Fans Need To Watch
The Browns defense looked a little more like the unit fans expected in its most recent outing, mixing up the approach with more man coverage, more blitzes and more heat on the quarterback. That shift helped several defenders pop, from Mason Graham and Isaiah McGuire up front to Denzel Ward and Myles Harden on the back end, and it gave Cleveland a few more reasons to feel better about where the group is heading.
Hardens first career interception was the kind of play that stands out in a game where the defense was already showing more urgency and disruption. The fuller picture from the snap counts, statistics and player grades is the one Cleveland will want to watch next, because if this version of the defense holds up, it could change how the Browns can attack opponents the rest of the way. [Read more 🡒]