Cleveland Browns fans are still getting used to the idea of life after Myles Garrett, but Sunday offers a first look at one of the biggest pieces the team got back in that trade: Jared Verse.
Verse is no ordinary replacement. The edge defender arrived in Cleveland as part of the deal with the Los Angeles Rams, and he already has the kind of résumé that makes him easy to spot on a field.
He was the Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2024, then followed that up with another strong season in 2025. For the Browns, he’s the sort of player who can matter right away and keep mattering as the roster turns over around him.
Before Week 1, Browns head coach Liam Coen had plenty to say about what Verse brings.
"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."
That kind of praise tracks with the player Verse has been through his first two NFL seasons. In 2024, he put up 4.5 sacks, 66 combined tackles, 18 quarterback hits, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and two pass breakups while earning the league’s top defensive rookie honor. In 2025, he stepped up again with 7.5 sacks, 58 combined tackles, 27 quarterback hits, three forced fumbles and 11 tackles for loss, matching his 2024 total in that last category.
What makes Verse more than just a headline name in a post-Garrett world is the full package. He has the size, the burst and the feel for the game to affect both the run and the pass.
Coen’s comments fit the tape: Verse can squeeze plays from multiple angles, work through traffic and keep coming. He was also credited with 80 pressures last regular season, according to Ryan Smith of Pro Football Focus, and that kind of constant backfield presence is the part of his game that could keep climbing as he heads into Year 3.
Just as important for Cleveland, Verse appears to be embracing the role the Browns want him to play. The team isn’t going to be rebuilt overnight, but Verse looks like someone willing to grind through that process, keep improving and help set the tone up front. After spending his first two seasons with a Rams team that was in the middle of multiple playoff runs, he now arrives in Cleveland as one of the faces of what comes next.
In Other News...
Browns Suddenly Have A Deshaun Watson Question They Cant Ignore
Deshaun Watsons return from Achilles injuries gave the Browns a long-awaited answer on Sunday, but it also created a fresh layer of uncertainty. In his first game action since the 2024 season, Watson completed 16 of 22 passes for 205 yards with a touchdown and an interception, though he also took five sacks in a loss to the Jaguars. Cleveland had been waiting to see how he would look physically and how the offense would function with him back under center, and the first outing at least showed the team still has work to do.
Afterward, coach Todd Monken pushed back on the idea that the loss should fall on Watson alone and said the Browns would evaluate everything moving forward. What Monken did not do was give Watson a clear runway to the next game against the Buccaneers, leaving the quarterback situation open for now. For a Browns team trying to stabilize an offense that has already been through so much, that silence may be just as important as the performance itself. [Read more 🡒]
Myles Garrett Update Suddenly Raises A Browns Trade Concern
Myles Garretts move to the Rams was already one of the biggest storylines for Cleveland to monitor after the trade sent the Browns a package built around Jared Verse and three future draft picks. Now there is a new wrinkle on the other side of the deal, with Garrett dealing with a knee injury that will require arthroscopic surgery and keep him on injured reserve for at least four weeks.
For the Browns, the concern is less about Garretts short-term availability in Los Angeles than about what it means for the assets they just acquired. If the Rams feel the effects of losing him on the field, that could ripple into the value of the draft picks Cleveland is counting on, adding another layer of uncertainty to a trade already carrying plenty of long-term significance. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Suddenly Have A Backfield Question Behind Quinshon Judkins
Dylan Sampsons knee injury has quickly turned a stable-looking depth chart into a fresh backfield problem for Cleveland. Sampson was ruled out in the first half, and now the Browns are expected to turn to Jaleel McLaughlin, who was not initially elevated for the season opener but is suddenly in position to help behind Quinshon Judkins.
McLaughlin brings a different look to the offense after spending time with the Denver Broncos, and his smaller frame has not kept him from showing real rushing ability. His style also fits the idea of a complementary piece, which is why his name is now moving to the front of the conversation as Cleveland sorts out the touches behind Judkins. [Read more 🡒]