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By Anne Erickson
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Jared Verse getting an honorable mention on ESPN's ranking of the NFL's best edge rushers heading into 2026 feels like a pretty fair spot, and frankly, it's a good sign for where his career is headed.
It also has to feel good after getting traded from Los Angeles to Cleveland.
Honorable mention can sometimes feel like the awkward honor, like you aren't quite good enough. But for edge rushers in today's NFL, it's a big deal. The league is loaded with pass rushers who can change a game with one snap, and Verse is already close after just two seasons.
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The biggest jump for Verse has been his refined skills on the field. Early in his career, he won a lot with athleticism, effort and pure terror. There was no mystery about what he wanted to do: get after the quarterback. That's a pretty fun way to play football, but it gets old pretty quickly.
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Verse answered by adding more to his approach in the game. "I thought he improved in his second year with a better rush plan, sets up moves with better timing," one AFC executive said in the ESPN report.
That's the part that should excite the Cleveland Browns. The physical gifts were never the question. Verse has the power, the motor and the kind of presence that makes offensive linemen suddenly very interested in what he's doing.
Another AFC executive summed it up well: "Love Verse, but some of the other rushers higher than him have more variety, whereas Verse is all power at times. But he's only going to get better and have a great career. He's a beast."
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That feels like the perfect description right now. Verse isn't a finished product, and that's what makes his future interesting. He doesn't need to reinvent himself. He just needs to keep adding to his game.
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