BEREA, Ohio -- Jared Verse took the field for his first practice with the Cleveland Browns last Tuesday, and when the team broke for individual drills, he quickly went to work on one of his biggest adjustments.
Verse crouched into a four-point stance and worked on perfectly timing his get-off as an assistant mimicked a snap with a football.
In his first two seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, Verse was an outside linebacker in their 3-4 scheme, typically rushing passers from a two-point stance. In the Browns' 4-3 defense, Verse will find himself chasing after quarterbacks from a three- and four-point stance as a defensive end.
Verse, 25, is already a two-time Pro Bowler and the 2024 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. Browns coach Todd Monken said he sees a "world of upside" for Verse, and his fit in Cleveland's defensive scheme is a major part of that optimism.
Jared Verse working on his get-off with Browns DL coach Jacques Cesaire pic.twitter.com/otamUqhdZe
"This is an attacking front, and that's kind of my style," Verse said. "I'll be attacking. I want to get to it. I want to have a defined situation, just be able to do my thing every time without having to think too much or without having to slow down and read keys. And it's exactly that. I like it a lot."
The Browns' trading of Myles Garrett, a two-time Defensive Player of the Year, to the Rams leaves an enormous void in a defense that has been one of the league's best in recent years. However, Cleveland's valuation of Verse, paired with a trio of picks, moved the needle in trade talks and made general manager Andrew Berry comfortable with parting ways with Garrett.
Since entering the NFL as the No. 19 pick in the 2024 draft, Verse has been one of the league's most disruptive edge rushers. His 99 pressures since 2024 only trail Green Bay's Micah Parsons (119) and Garrett (109), according to ESPN Research. Verse also ranks 18th in pressure rate (11.2%) and 13th in QB hits (45) during that time span. Though Verse's pressure hasn't always translated to sacks -- he has 12 in two seasons -- Berry called Verse "a guy who really gets after the quarterback really well."
"Jared Verse is special, if and when he adds these tools to his game," former Pro Bowl offensive tackle Terron Armstead told "The Rich Eisen Show" last week. "The hands, the reaction, the ability to set up moves for later in the game, it will be dominant. It will be scary."
In a scheme that asks its defensive linemen to prioritize penetrating past the offensive line, the Browns believe that could lead to increased production for Verse.