The Browns traded away the current defensive player of the year when they dealt Myles Garrett to the Rams earlier this week, but they emerged from the trade with the last two defensive rookies of the year.
Jared Verse won the prize in 2024 and linebacker Carson Schwesinger gave the 2025 Browns a pair of award winners on the defensive side of the ball. Verse has not been a member of the Browns for long, but the edge rusher knows enough about his new team to know that Schwesinger provides him with a comfortable security blanket.
“Man, that boy can fly," Verse said, via a transcript from the team. "Nah, he can work. I like that a lot. I like knowing that behind me that I can . . . I don’t got much to worry about if something, you know, I can play freely because I don’t have to worry if something gets by me. He’s going to be able to handle that. He’s going to be able to clean everything up. So now that’s the exciting factor of it.”
The Browns did not win much with Garrett on the roster, but they usually had a strong defense. The presence of Schwesinger and others provides reason to believe that will continue to be the case and the hope is that the other **** ets that Cleveland acquired will lead to more victories while Verse is a member of the squad.