Jared Verse Nears Regular Season Debut With Cleveland Browns

It’s difficult to replace a legend, and that’s exactly what new Cleveland Browns defensive end Jared Verse is being tasked to do. He was traded to the Browns in the offseason for future Hall of Famer Myles Garrett, who is coming off a season with an NFL-record 23 sacks in 2025. The Browns added a strong defensive end in Verse, as well as a trio of draft picks.

Verse has reportedly been a very vocal leader on the practice field, and he has really embraced the challenge of replacing the very loved superstar Garrett. And, he is not trying to be Garrett, but he is looking to put his own stamp on this 2026 Cleveland Browns team.

Jared Verse Isn’t Myles Garrett, and he Isn’t Trying to be

Verse was selected in the 2024 NFL Draft by the Rams in Round 1 with the No. 19 pick overall out of Florida State University. So, while he isn’t Garrett, he is still no slouch. Maybe casual fans certainly know who Garrett is, but they might not necessarily be familiar with Verse’s game. However, real ball knowers understand that the Browns certainly received a nice player and pick haul in this trade.

In his rookie season of 2024, Verse made 36 solo tackles with 30 assists, 4.5 sacks and two forced fumbles with two fumble recoveries. He also had two passes defensed, which is pretty amazing for a player of his stature. He stands 6-foot-4 and 260 pounds, with a gigantic wingspan.

In 2025, Verse had a slight drop in his tackle totals, going for 35 solo tackles and 58 total stops, but he also bumped up his sack total to 7.5, while forcing three fumbles with one pass defensed.

Garrett started off his 2026 NFL season in Australia against the San Francisco 49ers at Melbourne Cricket Ground, and he ended his Los Angeles debut with no tackles, no assists and no sacks, which is stunning work by the offensive line of the 49ers, completely neutralizing him.

Myles Garrett pitched a shutout in his Rams debut: 0.00. 0 tackles, 0 assists, 0 sacks.

— Tony Grossi (@TonyGrossi) September 11, 2026

Verse has the potential to get off to a good start against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1 on the road, and he is certain to at least log some tackles, if not his first sack. In fact, I am projecting Verse to rack up a double-digit sack total in 2026, as he works opposite either Isaiah McGuire or Derek Barnett on the left side, as those two are thrust into a larger role. Barnett was brought on board in late August when Alex Wright was placed on the reserve/injured list due to a ruptured Achilles tendon.