The Cleveland Browns’ newly acquired pass rusher, Jared Verse, is no slouch. He is going to come to Cleveland and make an immediate impact on a defense that is young and hungry to prove itself.
Verse joins a defensive line that is led by him on the outside and second-year player Mason Graham on the inside. Behind them is reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year Carson Schewsinger, and behind both of those guys is elder statesman Grant Delpit, and youngsters Emmanuel McNeil-Warren and Ronnie Hickman.
There are young stars everywhere and Verse is the one who is already in early consideration for Defensive Player of the Year. Verse’s odds to win the award are currently +1400, nearly 1000 points longer than Myles Garrett and is 400 points shorter than TJ Watt.
The DPoY Award is one that is not a stranger to Northeast Ohio. Former Browns Myles Garrett won it twice, and you will see that Garrett is also on that list. He is five spots ahead of Verse, who he was dealt for along with three additional draft picks.
For Verse, he is one year removed from winning the Defensive Rookie of the Year award as well. Yes, the Browns have the past two DRoY winners, and both of them are now eyeing that Defensive Player of the Year Award.
This is a great reminder for everyone out there saying that the Browns lost the trade with the Rams or that Verse isn’t anywhere close to the player that Garrett is. Yes, I do believe that Garrett stands alone in terms of his peers on the football field.
However, I do think it is closer than people want to admit. He certainly isn’t at the same level as Garrett right now, but he is on the proper trajectory to get there one day. The only area that Verse lacks, compared to Garrett, is in the actual sack category.
The two are in the same area code in terms of pressures, pressure rates, quarterback hits, tackles for loss, tackles, and so many other categories. If Verse finished 50 percent more of his dominant pass rushes, he would have had similar sack numbers.
That is something that he will continue to develop, but for now, he rushes the quarterback with reckless abandon and meets any ball carrier with serious violence.
There is a real world where Cleveland dealt the current best pass rusher in the NFL for the future best pass rusher in the NFL. They certainly got a guy who is going to be in contention for the best defender in the league year after year.
Just the same as their other guy was.
This article originally appeared on Browns Wire: Browns’ Jared Verse shocking odds to win Defensive Player of the Year
Reporting by Anthony Moeglin, Browns Wire / Browns Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
