Browns Star Jared Verse Drops Clever Take Regarding his Ceiling

Through his first four games as a member of the Cleveland Browns, young edge rusher Jared Verse has yet to register his first sack with his new team. It's something Verse has already downplayed and he's got a point. 

Sacks don't always tell the story of how impactful a player is on any given Sunday. That's certainly been the case for Verse, who, despite his lack of sacks, has provided seven pressures and three tackles for loss for the 3-1 Browns. 

He's had his moments and is bound to have more. And while sacks may not be the be-all and end-all in grading his success, even Verse knows his best is yet to come. 

"I don't even think I scratch the surface," Verse said of getting acclimating to the defense early on this season. "I don't even think I took the meal off the microwave yet. We still got a lot of work to do." 

It's hardly a surprise that Verse has high expectations for himself and the Browns defense. That's been his message from the first day he arrived in Berea following the blockbuster trade that saw Cleveland send two-time Defensive Player of the Year, Myles Garrett, to the Los Angeles Rams for Verse and a haul of future picks. 

That's another reason people are so closely monitoring Verse's sack numbers. It comes with the territory when you follow in the footsteps of a future Hall of Famer, who just so happened to set the single-season sack record with the franchise in 2025. 

Verse also made it clear early on in his arrival to Cleveland that he's not trying to fill Garrett's shoes, and no one should expect him to. That doesn't mean he doesn't have a high standard for himself, though.

If he's just getting started, then it's a scary proposition for the rest of the teams on Cleveland's schedule this year. Despite Verse's lack of sacks, he's been influential in other members of the Browns' D-line getting to the quarterback. Entering Week 5, Cleveland's defense has 12 total sacks, the fifth most in the NFL. 

Adding to that total may be tougher this coming weekend against the New York Jets. Through the first few days of the work week, DT Mason Graham – the team's sack leader with four – and backup Mike Hall Jr. were both listed as 'did not practice.' 

It's an ominous sign that both may not be available come Sunday. Verse is willing to do whatever he's asked to pick up the slack if neither can go. However, fans shouldn't necessarily expect him to bump inside much. 

"We ain't talking about that," joked Verse. "I told everybody I'll do whatever it takes. If it puts us in a better position to move me inside, let's do it. We just got to pick up. Everybody's got to do more. It's as simple as that."