The Cleveland Browns have to replace a lot of pass-rushing production now that Myles Garrett is no longer on the team. Jared Verse, who arrived as part of the return for Garrett in the trade with the Los Angeles Rams, will be counted on for most of it, but other players need to contribute as well.
Defensive tackle Mason Graham is being counted on to improve significantly on the one-half sack he posted as a rookie. However, one scout says fans are wrong if they believe the No. 5 overall pick from the 2025 NFL Draft is capable of doing so.
So, the Browns will also look elsewhere along their defensive line to come close to replicating the NFL record 23.0 sacks Garrett had last season. That’s in addition to his league-leading 33 tackles for loss and his 39 quarterback hits.
Analyst Lance Reisland has named two Browns defenders who need to step up, saying that Mike Hall and Verse need to combine to generate pressure on the opposing QB.
“Well, just looking at these guys, they’re gonna have to increase the pressure. Both these guys, Jared Verse more than Mike Hall, they have to be really, really good at getting the sack totals and pressures. I’m convinced that maybe the sack totals will not be what they were, but as a group, I think their pressures can be even more than it was with Myles Garrett. If you can get pressure and get quarterbacks off their spot, that’s as good as a sack so many times. Mike Hall has to take the next step forward. Jared Verse doesn’t have to replace Myles. He’s got to do what he does best, which is create pressure. These two have to create those pressures that are lost with Myles Garrett,” Reisland said.
Verse almost goes without saying, as he was the key piece of the trade for Garrett. As a first-round pick from the 2024 NFL Draft, Verse was the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and then posted 7.5 sacks last season in his second straight Pro Bowl campaign. The 25-year-old’s pass-rush metrics compare favorably to any player in the league, including Garrett.
Hall, on the other hand, has just 2.5 sacks in 17 games over his first two NFL seasons. A second-round pick from the 2024 draft, he has failed to live up to that status after serving an NFL personal conduct suspension as a rookie and dealing with a knee injury and complications from that surgery.
The 23-year-old also looked to be dealing with another injury during OTAs this spring. That could be a setback as he competes for playing time in a rotation with Graham, Maliek Collins, and free agent newcomer Kalia Davis.
While Verse is expected to be a defensive cornerstone for years, Hall could be facing a make-or-break season for the Browns in 2026.
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