The Cleveland Browns made a massive trade before the 2026 NFL season. Cleveland sent superstar pass rusher Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams back in June. In return, Cleveland received three draft picks and pass rusher Jared Verse.
Verse showed a lot of promise during his brief time with the Rams. The former first-round pick may not be a direct replacement for Garrett. But he certainly could become a long-term fixture on the Browns’ defensive line.
Moving teams is certainly a difficult experience, even in the offseason. Verse recently opened up about his reaction to the trade and what it was like being traded for the first time in his career.
Browns’ Jared Verse Reacts to Being Traded for Myles GarrettVerse appeared on a recent episode of “The Herd With Colin Cowherd.” During this appearance, Cowherd asked the young pass rusher about the trade.
The 25-year-old was quite honest with his response and said, “It was so much shock. They told me, ‘Yeah, we traded you for Myles Garrett.’ Like, they offered the information, they gave it out. A lot of people were going like, ‘Yeah, that’s gotta be a good feeling.’ Man, getting traded, it feels terrible. It don’t make you feel better just because it’s Myles Garrett.”
Verse established himself as a rising star in Los Angeles. Last season, he recorded 7.5 sacks, 58 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 3 forced fumbles, and 27 quarterback hits.
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According to PFN’s EDGE Impact Metric, Verse posted an impact score of 82.4, ranking 16th at his position.
The young star is expected to come in and help a defense that was quite good in 2025. Cleveland’s defense ranked seventh on PFN’s Defense Impact Metric with an impact score of 84.7.
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The Rams fell short of making the Super Bowl, though. Los Angeles has come close but has not returned to the big game since winning it all in 2022. Adding Garrett to this roster certainly makes them a daunting opponent for teams across the NFL.
Garrett was the best EDGE (95.1 impact score) in the league on PFN’s EDGE Impact Metric last season. Of course, he broke the single-season sack record, recording 23 in 2025. He was the only pass rusher with more than 20 sacks. And only two other players recorded 15 or more sacks last year.
Whether Verse can help the Browns remain a dominant defensive team remains to be seen. In any event, he has shown the ability to be a difference maker himself. Perhaps Cleveland is where he announces himself as the next great pass rusher in the NFL.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.
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