Losing Myles Garrett was always going to be a big risk for the Cleveland Browns, so the team wasn’t going to agree to a trade unless they were getting a significant return for him. When they finally committed to moving Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams, they received Jared Verse, a 25-year-old defensive star who has shown great promise in his first two seasons.
Expectations are high for Verse, and people may walk away disappointed if they want someone as productive and explosive as Garrett. That’s according to Anthony Lima, who shared his opinion on 92.3 The Fan.
He said that Verse is never going to be just like Garrett, and it’s time to keep expectations in check.
“Everything we are doing right now is a total disservice to Verse. You guys are throwing all this stuff to overcompensate for not having Myles Garrett. He’s gonna be a fraction of the player Myles Garrett is. He’s not gonna be in the same universe as Myles Garrett. If you keep throwing these expectations on him before he’s ever played a game with the Browns, you’re gonna be looking forever, and he’s never gonna measure up. He’s never gonna be close to Myles Garrett,” Lima said.
"Everything we are doing right now is a total disservice to Verse… He's gonna be a fraction of the player Myles Garrett is. If you keep throwing these expectations on him before he's ever played a game with the Browns, you're gonna be looking forever he's never gonna measure… pic.twitter.com/MbLfJc4f9a
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) July 8, 2026
Most people don’t believe Verse will immediately start playing exactly like Garrett. After all, Garrett is now an NFL record-setter with his sacks in a single season, and it’s very unlikely anyone will surpass that total any time soon. He sets an incredibly high bar, and there is a reason he’s a future Hall of Famer.
With that being said, it’s hard to find many up-and-coming defensive players who have showcased more potential than Verse. During his first two years with the Rams, he has earned two Pro Bowl spots and been named Defensive Rookie of the Year. He has 124 tackles and 12.0 sacks since his rookie campaign.
He may not be as great as Garrett, and he might not grab NFL records, but the idea of him playing with another Defensive Rookie of the Year – Carson Schwesinger – is enough to get fans excited. He has done so much in a short amount of time, and there is every reason to believe he’ll continue to develop and grow.
Even with the addition of Verse and the other changes coming to the roster, the Browns’ defense may still take a step back in 2026. There is no denying that the loss of Garrett was massive. Verse may not completely fill the void, but he’s obviously very talented, very driven, and very young.
He’s a great player to start this new chapter of Browns football.
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